Spirit of the Guardian
by EverAfterxx
Summary: A young girl was fated to become the Divine Guardian of the next Pharaoh. Her life has always been chosen for her and she cannot escape her destiny, but will meeting one thief change everything?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the characters taken from the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime/manga. **

_This is my first fanfic, so.. yeah. Review and give me pointers! I already have most of the story written, though. :)_

Chapter 1

The hot sun beat it's rays down onto the golden sands of Egpyt. It was summer and was one of the hottest days of the year. Dispite the heat, a teenage girl was outside, in the desert, training.

A blade swung down, the sun glinting off it's shinning metal. The girl side stepped quickly and the sword missed. She danced around the attacker, dodging every strike and anticipating every move.

The girl was sixteen years old and she had long, layered, golden-brown hair. It shone in the bright sunlight and swirled around her as she avoided attacks. Her eyes were deep purple-blue with lighter violet flecks. She was average height and was in perfect physical condition. Her face was perfectly proportioned and her skin was spotless and naturally tanned.

Finally getting bored of the dance, she swiftly kicked one leg out from under the attacker when he lunged and he fell to the ground. She put a foot on the wrist of the hand holding the sword and pointed her own, unused, sword at his throat.

"I win," she said, grinning.

"Again," the man on the ground rasped. He was out of breath and sweating terribly. "Now let me up."

She removed her foot from his wrist and extended a hand toward him. Gratefully, he took her hand and she pulled him to his feet.

"I think that's enough for today," the man said, panting.

The girl watched him carefully. He was badly out of breath and probably deheidrated. The Spirit Master wasn't old, only in his late thirties, but the heat was taking it's toll on him.

"Come on, let's go get some water," she said, turning to begin walking toward the city. The Spirit Master walked up beside her and they started moving.

"You know," she said, wiping her gold-brown hair out of her eyes, "we should really just bring water with us."

He smiled and gave her a sidelong look. "Ah, Kahlaya, you know that if you ever get stuck in a fight, water won't be offered.

Kahlaya laughed. "I'm not worried about myself! I meant bring water for you!"

He grunted. "I may not be as young as I used to be, but I can handle the heat."

Kahlaya shrugged. "Whatever you say, Master."

When they reached the city, they headed to the Spirit Master's house. Kahlaya was born in a city far away from this one and so she lived with her master to do everyday training.

Inside the house was ten times warmer than outside, but it was nice to be in the shade. There were a few jugs of water on a counter, so she grabbed a pair of cups from a shelf and filled them with the warm water. Giving one of the mugs to her master, who was already seated at the table, Kahlaya took a seat across from him and gulped down the gross water.

She set down the empty cup and looked across the table at him. His real name was Okpara, but almost no one called him that. He had black, shoulder-length hair with graying streaks and deep brown eyes. He was well built and wore a plain, cream coloured tunic. A pendant, hanging on a string around his neck, was the only indicator that he was someone of any importance. It was the Spirit Master's pendant. There was only one in existence and it was passed down from Spirit Master to Spirit Master.

He had been looking out the window, but now he turned his attention to her.

He smiled. "You are getting very skilled."

She returned the warm smile. "Thank you, Master."

His gaze moved back to the window. "Soon you will be able to go to the palace. To fulfill your destiny and stand at Prince Atem's side, as his Divine Guardian." He met Kaylaya's gaze. "You're training will be complete soon."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "Soon? What do you mean? I can fight pretty well, but I can barely control my spirit animal. I mean, I still shift at the full moon. And I can't shift on demand."

Okpara laughed. "I said your training would be finished 'soon'. You have been training for your entire life. 'Soon' is still months away. Don't worry. You will be able to shift on demand. We have been working hard on controlling your spirit animal. You are progressing greatly."

Kahlaya smiled and sighed, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes wandered to the window. The palace wasn't visible on this side of the home, but it was still there. Still close. It would be her home in just a few months. She would be living with the Pharaoh and his son, Atem. Protecting him, fighting for him. Kahlaya growled softly. She didn't like that her whole life had been decided as soon as she was born with the same eyes as the Prince and at the same time. But what really gave away her Divine Guardian status was the mark with which she was born. She looked down at her arm. Turning it over, she revealed the mark of a Divine Guardian on her inner right forearm.

To anyone who just glanced at it, the mark was only a series of swirls and lines, but, if it was looked at carefully, it was easy to distinguish the wings that spanned out and folded. Then, in the middle of the swirls was the shape of the angel. The lines were black, but had a silver linning to them and sparkled in sunlight. It represented a guardian angel. Smirking, Kahlaya turned her arm back over.

"There's a full moon coming," she said, looking at Okpara. She hadn't realized that he had been watching her.

He nodded. "Yes. In four days, the full moon will arrive. We will then be able to work on you controlling your spirit form."

She sighed. "Sometimes, it's a lot harder to concentrate in my spirit form. I can't really grasp the concept of controlling my energy."

"This is understandable. In your wolf form, you won't completely understand the human language and ideas. I know that you have gotten better at it, though. You have improved much since your first shift when you were thirteen. Now you can even use your telepathy."

Kahlaya nodded. She shuddered when she remembered her first shift. It was one of the worst and most frightening times in her life.

It was the first full moon after her thirteenth birthday. She had had a full day of battle training and was exhausted, but her spirit form was ready to show itself. It was quite late at night and she was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, but too restless to. Kahlaya remembered feeling extremely tired and somewhat sick. She had a terrible headache and she had begun to enter a cold sweat.

When the moon had finally made it's way around the house and moonlight slanted into her room, it shone directly on her. Her body immediately went ridged and pain had shot through every nerve she had. She screamed as the burning ripped through her. She had felt as if her entire body had been placed in a fire. Then her limbs had begun to spasm and shift.

Her muscles and bones morphed to accommodate her new body and her clothes tore as fur erupted from her skin and her nose became a snout. Her eyes hadn't changed though. Everything else had, but not her eyes. They had adopted the wildness of the wolf, but they were still her eyes.

That night, and the rest of the full moon, Okpara had to lock her in her room. Throwing in food and water when she was asleep. That first change, she was completely wolf. The next change was better. It was less painful and she kept more of herself than she had the first time, but she was still mostly wolf. Every time after that, she progressed. The shift became easier and now it hardly hurts. She can keep her entire mind while she's a wolf, except for the understanding of human ideas and some words. Her wolf side still couldn't process them. She could also use telepathy to communicate with humans.

Kahlaya shivered as she remembered her awful shiftings. She had to go through all that, just to serve some Pharaoh for the rest of her life. Somehow, all the jewels, gold and food that came with her duty, just weren't worth throwing her life away.

She accidentally growled. Okpara cleared his throat, breaking her away from her angry thoughts. Her head snapped up to meet his eyes. Kahlaya hadn't realized how long she had been living in her memories. It was now twilight and the light in the house was dimming.

"Why don't I make us some food?" Okpara said, rising to his feet.

"Yeah, that would be great." To reinforce her answer, Kahlaya's stomach growled loudly.

Blinking rapidly, Kahlaya pressed a hand to her forehead and tried to rid her mind of her painful memories and focus on her tasks ahead.

She was the Divine Guardian of Prince Atem, soon to be Pharaoh Atem. She was born to protect and serve him and there was nothing she could do to escape that duty. She should be honoured to have been chosen by the gods to be the new pharaoh's Guardian, but, somehow, she just couldn't bring herself to feel that way.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three more days. There were only three more days until the next full moon. When Kahlaya would change into her wolf form.

She was now walking through the city, watching people buy clothes, food and trinkets. She had had a morning of battle training and then Okpara had given her some coins to go buy food to restock the shelves. She had already spent most of it and she was carrying a woven basket with some bread, nuts and a few fruit. She only had a few coins left, which was not enough to buy anything useful, so Kahlaya decided to get something for herself.

Going from stand to stand, Kahlaya searched for anything that would catch her eye. It was mid-afternoon and she still hadn't found anything, so she sighed and decided to go back home. When she turned around to leave the marketplace, something caught her attention.

In a far corner, there was a stand she hadn't looked at earlier. It was hidden in the shadow of a home and was a little farther back than the other stands, but there was something about it that made her want to check it out. Curious, she turned and headed toward it.

No other customers were at the stand, and by the bored look of the woman behind it, there hadn't been many costumers all day. When Kahlaya walked up to the stand and peered at what was offered, the woman looked generally surprised.

The stand was only a few wooden boards put together and was held up with thin, wobbly wooden pegs. On the table, though, was a variety of accessories. There were beautiful, jeweled bracelets, necklaces and anklets and some different robes, skirts and shirts folded neatly. One necklace in particular really pulled Kahlaya's gaze to it.

It was just a simple string, but had a lovely pendant on it. The charm was a wolf howling. It was 3D and looked like it had been carved from marble. There was such detail that there were even indentations in the stone to show the different lengths of the wolf's fur. The eyes were deep blue stones. Kahlaya wondered how the woman had gotten the money to buy marble and stones to make it. It didn't look like she ever had much business. It made her wary, wondering about it. Maybe the woman had stolen her supplies.

"This is beautiful," she said, picking up the wolf. "The material looks so expensive."

The woman nodded. "I use all of my money to buy the best materials I can." She laughed, a sound that seemed to come easily to her. "My husband gets mad at me for it, but I usually have pretty good sales."

Kahlaya smiled. "How much do you want for it?"

She shrugged. "What's your offer?"

Kahlaya held out the three coins she had left, the woman considered. "It was very expensive to buy the supplies for it… and it took much of my time… What you have isn't going to be enough, I'm afraid."

Kahlaya frowned. Then she remembered. The last time she had gone to the palace, which was the only time, they had given her a pouch full of gold coins. They had said something along the lines of "We want your remaining time in the city to be comfortable. You can use this to buy whatever you wish." Kahlaya hadn't used any of it. It was in a corner of her room, under her bed.

Now was the perfect time to use the money.

"I'll be right back," Kahlaya said. She began jogging away from the stand.

"I'll be here!" the woman called after her.

"Make sure no one takes it!" Kahlaya yelled over her shoulder.

Kahlaya ran through the marketplace and into the less crowded streets. It was warm, not as warm as the day before, but she was wearing a long robe to hide her Divine Guardian mark and she was getting tired from running while wearing it in the hot sun. Reaching her home and panting heavily, Kahlaya opened the door and walked inside. Okpara wasn't there, so she set the basket of food onto the table and went to her room. Pushing the bed out of the way, she reached into the corner and grabbed the pouch of money. It was heavy. Kahlaya hadn't realized that they had given her so much.

Putting the pouch in her robe pocket, Kahlaya pushed her bed back into place and went back into the streets. She didn't bother running to the marketplace, she didn't want people to hear her money jingling in her pocket.

Going back to the stand, Kahlaya was glad to see that the woman was still there and the wolf necklace was where she had left it.

The woman smiled when she saw Kahlaya. Taking out her pouch, Kahlaya removed five gold coins and offered them to the woman.

"Will this be enough?" she asked.

The woman gaped. "Well, yes, I, uh, yes, I suppose it will be." She stumbled over her words.

Kahlaya laughed and dropped the coins into the woman's hand. Picking up the necklace, she dropped it over her head then picked up her hair to put it over the string. The wolf hung in the middle of her chest, just below her collar bones.

"Thank you," Kahlaya said, turning to go back to her home.

"You're welcome." The woman had been staring at the money, but she raised her head to look at Kahlaya. Her eyes drifted to the wolf around her neck. She smiled. "It really suits you."

Kahlaya returned the smile. "Thanks."

She left the woman staring at the coins and walked back through the streets. When she made it to the house, she went inside and threw her robe off, glad to be rid of the heated clothing. Underneath, she had been wearing a simple, knee-length, white dress. It had a V-neck collar and there was a wrap around, silver belt around her waist and two, cheap, silver armlets around her upper arms. Her hair fell in layers over her shoulders, down her back and around her face. Her eyes were lined with black charcoal.

When she had thrown her robe onto a chair, she heard the coins jingle and then remembered her money pouch. She decided just to leave it there; maybe she'd go blow it all on a bunch of useless items later. She smirked at the idea.

Okpara came into the house. Kahlaya sat down at the table and pulled a few dates out of the basket. She popped a few into her mouth and sat back in the chair.

"So, where have you been?" she asked, after swallowing her mouthful.

He shrugged and looked through the basket. "Just here and there. Talking to people. Getting some news."

"Anything new?" She set his unused coins onto the table.

He picked them up and put them in his pocket. "Not really."

From the way he said it, Kahlaya knew he was lying.

She leaned forward. "Just tell me, please, Master. You know I'll find out eventually."

He glanced at her for a second before going back to looking through the basket. There wasn't much to look at in there, so Kahlaya knew he was just occupying himself to avoid looking at her.

"Well, there's news that some thieves have been hanging around," he said.

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. "So? There are always thieves around. That's nothing new."

"It's not just that." He sighed. "It's Sanura."

Panic rose inside Kahlaya. Sanura was a young girl who loved to spend time with her. She was ten years old and was very outgoing, sometimes a little_ too_ outgoing. She lived just a walk away from Kahlaya's home with her mother. Her father worked at the palace, as a guard. Kahlaya enjoyed playing and talking with Sanura. During those times, she could forget all about her training and her responsibilities and just have fun and be herself.

"What happened?" Kahlaya asked. Her voice came out a strangled whisper.

He stopped messing around in the basket and sat down at the other side of the table. "She's missing."

Kahlaya's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't find her voice for a second and time seemed to stand still.

Finally she managed to say, "Missing?"

Okpara nodded. "Since last night. She had gone out to come here, actually, and she never went back home."

Kahlaya shook her head. "She never made it here. But, who… who would take her? Why? She's only ten!"

"I know. Her mother is out searching for her."

"What about her father?"

"Word was sent to the palace. Hopefully her father will be able to go search."

Kahlaya rose to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Okpara asked, watching her.

She grabbed her robe and put it on. "I'm going to look for her."

Okpara jumped up. "No. You are not."

Kahlaya looked him straight in the eye. "I can't just leave her. She's like my sister and I cannot abandon my sister. I promised her that I'd always be there for her. Now is a time that I must keep my promise. Please understand, Master."

He looked worried. Fear and sadness filled his dark eyes. "Is there anything I can say to stop you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He sighed. "Then please be careful. Do not leave the city. And I wish you luck."

She dipped her head. "Thank you, Master."

Before leaving, she went to her room and picked up her two favourite daggers. They were a gift from Okpara she had received on her fifteenth birthday. She knew they had cost a fortune, no matter how much Okpara insisted they hadn't. Kahlaya slid them into her belt. She only ever used them if she really had to, and she always kept them sharp and clean.

Leaving her room, she exchanged a meaningful glance with her master and then went outside, into the twilit city.

Kahlaya wanted to first go see Sanura's mother, but she doubted that she'd be at home. She didn't have much to go on about Sanura's kidnapping, if it was a kidnapping, other than the fact that she had been on her way to Kahlaya's home.

Kahlaya considered. There wasn't a huge chance that Sanura had simply gotten lost. She had made many trips to Kahlaya's home on her own. The only other option was that she _had_ been taken. Deciding that it would be better to start at Sanura's house, Kahlaya headed in that direction.

When she reached Sanura's door, she immediately knew that her mother was gone. Closing her eyes, Kahlaya tried to concentrate. Okpara had said that her senses should be heightened due to her spirit animal, but she couldn't really tell if they were or not. She sucked in through her nose, trying to pick up any scents. She could smell the sand and dirt, that was always what she smelled. There was also a scent wafting from the direction of the marketplace. It was a combination of foods, fabrics and people. She tried to remember what Sanura smelled like. The last time they had spent the afternoon together, Kahlaya remembered smelling a sweet scent from her. It was like… flowers. Yes, that's it! Sanura always smelled like flowers. More specifically, lotus.

Kahlaya concentrated on picking up the scent of lotus. It would be faded, Sanura had left the house the night before, and so she may not find it right away. Pushing aside the other scents she picked up, Kahlaya searched for the right one.

After a few minutes of standing there with her eyes closed, a sweet smell passed over Kahlaya's nose. She grabbed onto the scent, keeping it in her nostrils. It was definetely Sanura. Opening her eyes, Kahlaya stayed on the scent and began walking. She found it easy to follow the smell. It was as if an obvious trail had been placed in front of her, leading her to Sanura.

The trail seemed to be heading toward Kahlaya's home, but when she was about half way there, the trail turned to the right. It mingled with another, musky scent and it headed down a side street, between two rows of buildings.

Kahlaya looked at the sun. It was almost below the horizon. People had begun to light lanterns throughout the streets and inside their homes. She knew that if she went home now, the trail may be too old to follow. She needed to keep looking, even if it meant searching all night.

Turning down the street, Kahlaya followed after the scent, picking up her pace. She travelled at a steady power-walk and, after walking for about half an hour, the trail made it to the edge of the city. Guards were posted on each side of the exit, and Kahlaya knew they wouldn't let her pass. All guards had orders to keep Kahlaya in the city. Going outside without her master meant danger. The Divine Guardian could never be in danger.

Kahlaya growled. Twirling around, she headed to the stables. She would get her horse and get out into the desert, no matter what. She knew that she was disobeying rules. Not only her master's rules, but the Pharaoh's as well. When she had gone to the palace, he had told her to stay within the city walls unless she was training with the Spirit Master. But this was an emergency. She needed to find Sanura. She was her sister, her… her… gravity. Having Sanura around was the only thing that kept Kahlaya herself. Kept her from becoming some serious guard, focused only on serving her master. She needed Sanura more than she needed food and water.

Reaching the stable, she showed the guard her mark and he let her inside. Kahlaya headed to her horse's stall. He was a gray appaloosa and he was huge. He was one of the biggest horses in the stable. His mane and tail were deep gray with lighter gray streaks. When he saw Kahlaya, he neighed happily and pounded one of his hooves against the stall door. Kahlaya rubbed his face.

"Calm down, buddy," she soothed. "Do you want to go for a run?"

He neighed again, but it was softer, like he knew she wanted him to be quiet.

She laughed. "Alright, let's get you ready."

She took the silver and purple blanket that was hanging over the stall door and draped it over his back. She pulled it tight under his stomach using the leather straps. She then pulled his bridle onto his face and attached the reins.

She patted his neck. "Okay, Shakir, let's go find Sanura."

Opening the door, Kahlaya led Shakir out of his stall and passed all the other horses, heading for the exit. The guard nodded to her as she passed and she returned the nod. Walking through the darkening streets, Kahlaya led Shakir to the exit of the city.

The two guards were still there, of course, on horseback and just sitting there, waiting for someone to either come or go. Kahlaya debated how she should slip passed them. She decided that the best and easiest way would be to try and distract them.

Pulling Shakir into the shadows between two buildings she whispered for him to stay there and tied his reins loosely to a wooden post. She slipped around the buildings, staying to the shadows and then, when she was only a few buildings away from the guards, she screamed. It was loud and blood-curdling. Peeking around the side of the building she looked at the guards. They were looking at each other and talking and then looking down the alleyway toward the source of the sound. She screamed again. One of the guards took the reins to the other's horse while he dismounted. Kahlaya screamed one more time before running up to the wall. Staying to the shadows under the wall, she snuck up right next to the rider less horse. Taking one of her daggers from her belt, Kahlaya reached out and stuck it into the rear end of the horse, withdrawing it quickly. She felt terrible for it, but it was the only thing she could think of. He neighed and bucked and then took off down the street. The other guard hollered after him and then kicked his own horse to chase after him. Kahlaya saw the other guard that was down the street, still investigating the place where the scream had come from, turn and, seeing the commotion, he ran after his horse and the other guard.

Smiling, Kahlaya whistled for Shakir. It was a special whistle that he always listened to and, sure enough, he came running down the street towards her. He stopped in front of her and she grabbed his reins. Kahlaya ran out into the desert, picking up the scent of Sanura and the unknown scent, and followed it with her horse trailing after her.

The almost-full moon shone its eerie light onto the desert, blanketing the sand in a silver glow. She was grateful for the clear, star-filled night sky. Kahlaya had been traveling for at least two hours and the trail didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular. She knew of nothing that was out this far east of the Nile. There may have been a temple or tomb, but nothing else.

She was getting tired, and it was cold, but she didn't want to get on Shakir. If she did, she wouldn't be able to follow the scent and, right now, it didn't seem to be going in any designated direction. Kahlaya was going east, she knew that, but the trail turned and twisted in other directions sometimes. She couldn't risk losing it.

It was when the sun was just beginning to come over the horizon when she saw it. She had just come over a well-sized sand dune when, farther ahead and in ruins, there was a temple. It was broken and pieces were scattered everywhere, but the main part still stood and most of the wall around it was standing except for a few holes and missing stones. It looked deserted, but it was where the trail led to.

"Alright, let's see what this is about," Kahlaya muttered, getting onto Shakir's back.

They went down the hill, and skirted around the wall of the temple. Kahlaya was nervous about just walking in until she knew if people were there or not. When she was near the entrance, she immediately picked up human scents. Most were musky and male and very recent. Actually _all _of them smelled like that. There was only one explanation for it: this was a thieves' hideout.

Kahlaya began to panic. She had found a thieves' hideout. Not many people in Egypt would travel this far into the desert, so it was probably never found. Even if it was, Kahlaya picked up at least five different scents and if someone ventured into their hideout, the thieves could probably take care of themselves. Especially since it was _their _hideout. They knew every nook and cranny, so they could hide and take out large groups of trespassers easily.

What should she do? Go inside and try to find Sanura? That was a huge risk. Maybe she should just go back and get help. But it was a long journey. It would take at least a day to get help. Kahlaya only had two more nights until she would be a wolf. Plus, by the time she got people to help, enough wind could blow the scent away and she wouldn't be able to find her way here. Kahlaya decided to investigate.

She dismounted her horse and loosely tied his reins to a stone slab, behind the temple. She needed him close in case she required a speedy getaway. Kahlaya ran up to the temple and crouched next to the wall. The sun was rising and the shadows disappearing, so she needed to be quick and careful. She slunk around the outside and then the sharp scent of horses hit her nostrils. There was a makeshift stable made of stone on the eastern side of the temple that she hadn't seen before. She counted seven horses.

'_Seven,'_ she thought., '_Will I be able to fight off _seven_ attackers?' _She was a skilled fighter, but she didn't know if she was _that _good.

Kahlaya crept silently through the doorway and into the temple. Torches lined the walls every few meters, which made it hard to remain hidden, but she tried as best she could. The hallway opened into a larger room which had two more halls on the far wall. Kahlaya threw her hood up over her head and sniffed the air. The scents of the men were strong, but she managed to pick out Sanura's sweet scent from the rest. Following the odor, Kahlaya went down the corridor on the far right side of the room. More torches lined the walls and every so often there would be a window. Doors appeared on the left side of the hallway. Kahlaya kept going down the hall until the scent of Sanura disappeared under a door.

Before opening the door, Kahlaya pressed her ear up to it, listening for any noise. Nothing. She tried to listen more, to push beyond her human ears and unlock her wolf senses. When she thought she was getting no where and was going to open the door anyway, she heard the sound of breathing. It was shallow and regular, like someone was sleeping. There weren't any other noises, so Kahlaya tried opening the door. It wouldn't open. She tried pushing harder. The door was locked. Kahlaya growled.

_ 'Why, why, why? I need to get in there. I can't leave Sanura here!' _

Kahlaya didn't know what to do. If she tried to ram the door open, it would make a lot of noise and probably alert someone to her presence. If she didn't get into that room, she could get caught out there in the hall and that wouldn't help Sanura at all. The last option would be to leave and return later with help. This time, she could ride back to the city, which would save time, but it would still take too long to get there, get help and get back.

She was still debating what to do when she heard footsteps. They were getting louder and louder. They were heading down this hall. Kahlaya saw a dark figure heading her way. Panicking, she silently ran farther down the corridor. The hallway turned left and Kahlaya realized that the two she had seen in the main room attached to each other to make a semi-square. She squatted at the corner and looked back down the hall she had just run down.

The figure stopped at Sanura's door and produced a key from his pocket. He unlocked the door. He was holding something in his hand, but Kahlaya couldn't make out what it was. The man disappeared into the room. Kahlaya went back down the hall and stopped in front of the closed door. She took one of her daggers from her belt and opened the now-unlocked door. Slipping inside quickly, she shut the door behind her and lunged at the man.

He was taken by surprise at her sudden appearance and didn't have time to draw is sword. Kahlaya jumped at him and knocked him over. He hit the floor hard and she landed on top of him. Not wanting to kill him, she used the hilt of her blade and smashed it roughly into his head. His body went limp and he lay there, unconscious.

Kahlaya rose to her feet and looked down at the man. She was surprised at what she saw. He was a teenager. Maybe her own age or a year older. His hair was short and black. He had a gentle-looking face, or at least, he would have if it weren't for the ugly scar that ran over his left eye all the way to his jaw. He was quite muscular and was only wearing a knee-length linen skirt, leaving his bulky chest uncovered. The thing that he had been holding was a cup of water.

_ 'Are they all teenagers?'_ Kahlaya wondered.

She moved her gaze from the unconscious body to the bed. It wasn't much, must a mattress, a thin blanket and a pillow, but, on the bed, there was a small, sleeping body. Kahlaya looked down at the face, pushing some hair out of the way to do so. She smiled when she saw the familiar face of Sanura. She looked so peaceful, even in such a not peaceful place. Kahlaya reached out a hand and shook her shoulder.

"Sanura," she whispered. "Wake up."

Sanura groaned and pushed her hand away. Kahlaya couldn't help but laugh.

"We need to go. Come on, Sanura."

This time, Sanura opened her bright blue eyes. "Kahlaya? What are you doing in my room?"

Kahlaya smiled sadly. "I'm not in your room. Niether are you. We're far away from the city, in a very bad place. We need to get out of here."

"But I'm tired," Sanura protested.

"Please, Sanura, there are bad people here. We need to get back home. Your mother is worried about you."

"My mom?" Sanura sat up and yawned. "What do you mean bad people?"

"Yes, your mom. She really needs to see you. Right now, we're in a hideout. A thieves' hideout. We need to leave. Now."

Kahlaya grabbed Sanura's hand and heaved her out of the bed. Sanura followed after her, tripping slightly from her drowsiness. Kahlaya listened into the hallway to make sure no one was there. When she heard nothing, she opened the door and they stepped into the lightening corridor.

"How did you do that?" Sanura asked.

"Do what?" Kahlaya replied, listening and sniffing for any other presences.

"You stopped before opening the door. How did you know no one was around?"

Kahlaya glanced down at her for a second. "My hearing is… better than most people's. Because of my spirit animal."

"Oh." Sanura left it at that.

They entered the large room. Still, no one was around. Kahlaya ran across the floor, Sanura being pulled after her. They entered the hallway that led to the exit. Kahlaya saw the light of the doorway that led outside. Led to hers and Sanura's freedom. She smiled when they were just a few strides away from the door.

What Kahlaya didn't know was that the time it took to take a few strides could be the time it took for everything to change.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was right there. The exit. The escape. Kahlaya and Sanura were only a few feet away. Just a few more steps and they would have been out. Then it was only a matter of calling Shakir and riding away. But fate had a different path set out for them.

The light of the door was cut off and the hallway became darker. Kahlaya skidded to a halt when she saw why the light had diminished. Someone was standing in the doorway. Sanura ran into Kahlaya and almost lost her balance from the impact.

Kahlaya went to turn around, to try going the other way and finding a different exit, but someone was standing there too. They were trapped.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the man at the exit said, walking farther into the hallway. He sounded like he was a teenager as well. Maybe eighteen.

Kahlaya pressed Sanura up against the wall and used her body as a shield for her.

"It looks like we've got a trespasser," replied the man farther into the temple. He was also slowly walking forward.

Kahlaya growled. "Don't come any closer and I might let you live."

The one by the door laughed. "You think that some _girl_ can kill us? But I do like your bravery, no matter how foolish it is."

He stepped into the light of a torch and Kahlaya saw his face. She was right. He looked to be seventeen or eighteen. He had long, dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He was tall, muscular and was wearing a linen skirt, leaving his muscled chest bare.

She looked down the hall at the other teenager. It was light enough to see his head of tousled blond-brown hair and pale green eyes. His skin was paler than the others. He wore a linen skirt as well. He wasn't as muscular as Brown-Eyes, but he was still intimidating. He also looked younger than the others. About sixteen.

Kahlaya knew that her threat had been empty. Maybe if she hadn't walked all night and had eaten and drank something within the last ten hours she could have beaten them. But that wasn't the case. She was tired, hungry and thirsty. They could easily defeat her.

They were closing in on either side of her.

Instinctively, Kahlaya pulled her daggers out of her belt and got into a fighting position.

This time, both men laughed.

"You don't stand a chance," Brown-Eyes said.

"How do you know?" Kahlaya retorted.

They both drew their swords.

Green-Eyes looked up at Brown-Eyes. "I don't think we should kill her," he said. "She has spirit. Maybe we could use her for… something else."

Brown-Eyes chuckled and his eyes slid down the length of Kahlaya's body and back up again. He grinned. "I think you're right."

Kahlaya shuddered at the tone of his voice. Now she was really nervous. No, she was beyond nervous. She was scared. Fully and undoubtedly scared.

"Don't hurt her," she said through clenched teeth.

Brown-Eyes laughed again. "The girl? We were never going to hurt her. No, we had other plans for her."

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Green-Eyes answered.

Both men smiled wickedly and then lunged toward Kahlaya. She spun quickly and ducked, pulling Sanura with her.

"Try to run," she whispered to the girl before pushing her away.

Kahlaya sprang to her feet and retaliated against the attackers. Blades swung everywhere and Kahlaya danced lightly around them. She focused on all her training and remembered everything Okpara had taught her. She'd swing at them whenever she had the chance and she managed to give Brown-Eyes a good slice on the thigh. Her energy was draining rapidly while theirs stayed high. Even a moment of distraction or her focus slipping could cost her life.

She knew that she would soon be out of energy and would lose, but she tried to keep her head clear and fight on. They were terrifyingly good at sword fighting and she received a deep cut on her upper arm. She gave them a few cuts as well, but never fatal or deep. Kahlaya kicked Green-Eyes' legs out from under him and he tumbled to the ground. She then elbowed Brown-Eyes in the nose when he lunged and missed. This was her chance. Kahlaya pulled Brown-Eyes' legs out from under him and he also fell onto the floor. She was about to plunge her dagger into his throat, when a loud gasp distracted her and Kahlaya looked up.

Another man had showed up and had grabbed a hold of Sanura. He held her with one arm across her throat. She was trying to claw at his arm, but his free hand was holding one of her wrists. Her scratches didn't bother him.

That one moment of distraction cost Kahlaya her victory. Green-Eyes had gotten to his feet and came up behind her. Before she could do anything, he hit her head with the hilt of his sword and she fell into a world of darkness.

Kahlaya opened her eyes to more darkness. It wasn't completely dark, she realized. There was a small window high up in the wall which allowed midday sunlight to slant into the musky room. She sat up. The motion was too quick and her head spun. She lifted her right arm to press against her aching head, but pain pierced her arm when she moved it. Using her left arm, Kahlaya felt the gash on her upper right arm.

It was deep. Very deep. It was still bleeding slightly and blood was running all the way from the cut to her hand. She was no longer wearing her robe. Only her white dress and her silver belt. Her daggers and armlets had been taken. She wasn't wearing her sandals anymore either. Her left hand flew to her neck. She sighed. Her wolf necklace was still there. So was something else. A metal collar had been placed around her neck. A chain attached to it and then bolted into the wall.

Kahlaya decided to worry about where she was and how to escape later. First, she needed to take care of her cut. Taking off her belt, Kahlaya wrapped the fabric as tightly as she could around the cut. The pressure made it hurt, but at least it would stop the bleeding. There was nothing she could do about the blood already on her arm. She looked at her Divine Guardian mark. At least the blood hid it from view.

Raising her eyes, Kahlaya studied her new surroundings. She was in a small room. It must have been somewhere underground because the walls and floor were dirt and the only window was almost touching the ceiling. There was a door on the opposite wall, directly across from her. Kahlaya heaved herself to her feet and tried to walk forward. The chain made her halt after just a few steps.

Angrily, she grabbed onto the cold metal with her good arm and tugged. It was no use. There was no way to pull the chain out of the wall. The only way to free if from her collar was with a key. Kahlaya sighed and sat down against the wall.

Licking her lips, she realized how thirsty she was. As if to challenge her need for water, her stomach growled. She also hadn't eaten in a while. Sighing, Kahlaya leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Strange, she didn't feel panicked or scared. She just felt… empty. It was an odd feeling. As if she just didn't need to worry about anything or even do anything. All she had to do was sit there and wait for either death to take her or for her captors to give her food and water. Another thing she felt was the strange sensation of having her life in someone else's hands. Usually, she could get food and water for herself and protect herself using her fighting skills, but, where she was now, it was someone else's decision to either bring her food and water or let her starve to death.

'_Oh, well,' _she thought, '_I wasn't going to have much of a life anyway. I may not be able to fulfill my duty, but was it really worth it?'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside the door. Her eyes snapped open and she leaned forward slightly. Someone pushed the door open a little and peered inside. Kahlaya could just make out the face of a young teenager. He was either fourteen or fifteen and definitely the youngest she had seen so far. He had light brown hair that fell into his face and reached his shoulders. His eyes were light blue.

When he saw that she was awake, the boy opened the door farther and came inside. He was carrying a tray with a cup and a few pieces of bread on it. Walking over to Kahlaya, he set the tray down in front of her and turned to leave. She watched him go. He was skinnier than the others and wasn't very tall. To her, he didn't fit in with his surroundings or the other teenagers there. He also seemed much more timid and didn't have the arrogance and confidence of the others.

When he closed the door behind him and she was alone again, Kahlaya looked down at the tray. Stale bread and warm water.

_ 'Well, at least they're going to feed me.'_

She took a sip of the water to wet her throat and mouth. Even though it was warm, it felt nice sliding down her throat. Then she took a bite of the bread. It was stale, but it satisfied her hunger. In just a few minutes, the bread and water were gone. She pushed the tray away and leaned against the wall again. Nothing much to do but sit there. She looked out the window, but all she could see was the clear blue sky, nothing of any interest.

A few minutes later, she heard more footsteps. This time, there was more than one pair. Kahlaya watched the door, waiting for it to be flung open. Sure enough, the door opened and a man stood in the doorway, more of them behind him. She recognized Brown-Eyes from before. An involuntary growl rumbled in her chest.

"Well, look who's awake," he sneered, walking into the room.

Kahlaya rose to her feet. She decided that he must be the leader. He had that sense of confidence and grandeur about him that the others didn't.

Four other teenagers walked in behind him. Kahlaya recognized Green-Eyes, Blue-Eyes and the one with the scar she had knocked out in Sanura's room. The fifth teenager was short and skinny and had hazel eyes. His hair was long and black.

"Where is Sanura?" Kahlaya hissed.

"Oh, she's fine." Brown-Eyes waved a hand. "You? Not so much."

Kahlaya growled. "Stay away from me."

"You aren't in much of a position to be making demands, Missy," Green-Eyes said.

Kahlaya stood her ground as they swarmed around her. Blue-Eyes didn't seem to want to join in on whatever they were planning and stayed behind the group. Green-Eyes had been right. There was nothing she could do about them. But she had to try. She owed it to herself and to Sanura.

When Brown-Eyes was close enough, she lunged forward and bit his forearm. He yelled in pain and shoved her away from him, ripping his skin in the process. He swore at her and lashed out his hand. Kahlaya tried to dodge it, but the chain prevented her. The back of his hand caught her on the side of her face and she fell to the ground, her cheek reddening.

All of the men laughed, except for Brown-Eyes. His arm was bleeding badly and he glared at her with such anger and hatred that she had to suppress a laugh. He was about to hit her again when the whole group hushed suddenly. They were all looking back, toward the door. Brown-Eyes stopped with his arm raised. Fear entered his eyes.

Kahlaya peered around him to what everyone else was looking at. There was someone standing in the doorway.

He was seventeen or eighteen, but Kahlaya leaned more towards the latter. His hair was bleached white from the sun and it fell in a tangled mess around his face, to his shoulders. Some fell into his eyes and covered his forehead. He had pale, cold, amethyst eyes. There was a scar under his right eye. It was a vertical line that had two horizontal lines passing through it. He was tall and muscular, wearing a navy blue kilt and a blue, wrap around belt. He also wore a red robe with cream lining.

Brown-Eyes turned slightly to look at him, his arm still raised. Kahlaya felt the newcomer's presence with such force that she shuddered. He radiated confidence and authority. She immediately knew that she had been wrong. Brown-Eyes wasn't the leader, Violet-Eyes was.

He didn't leave the doorway when he said: "Put your arm down, Tarik." He spoke with an accent and his voice was scarily menacing.

Brown-Eyes quickly lowered his arm.

"No one will touch this girl again. You will not even enter this room unless I permit it. Do you understand?"

Each head nodded.

"Now get out."

The boys all scurried across the room and passed through the doorway, taking care not to touch Violet-Eyes as they did. Before Tarik left, he gave Kahlaya an icy glare full of hatred and anger. He looked like he would have said: "_This isn't over, girl_."

Kahlaya watched them all leave until she was alone with Violet-Eyes. Fear seeped into her. If all of them had been afraid of this man, she knew that she definitely should be. She tried not to show it though. She decided that if he had saved her from the others, than he must not be about to hurt her.

He walked farther into the room until he was only a few feet away from her. Kahlaya looked into his eyes. They were cold and very unfriendly. She shuddered slightly.

He looked down at her without emotion, meeting her eyes for a second and then shifting his gaze to her wrapped-up, bloody arm.

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. "What do you want with me?"

His eyes moved back to meet hers. "There isn't anything I _want_ with you. But, since you have seen our faces and know where our hideout is, I can't just let you leave, now, can I?"

"What about Sanura?"

He laughed. "You don't know? By the way you came all the way here, I thought you were coming to save her _because_ of_ why_ we took her."

Now Kahlaya was confused. What was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" Kahlaya asked. Her voice was little more than a whisper.

He laughed again. "Your little friend is more talented than you think she is."

Kahlaya still didn't know what he was talking about. Actually, his words just confused her more. She doubted that he'd tell her what he meant, so she asked a different question.

"Who are you?"

He narrowed his eyes. He took so long to answer that Kahlaya thought he wasn't going to. "My name is Bakura."

Bakura. Kahlaya had heard that name before. But where from? She searched her memory until she remembered when she had heard Okpara say it. Bakura, the King of Thieves. He was one of, if not _the, _most feared thief in Egypt.

Kahlaya swallowed the lump in her throat.

Bakura seemed amused by her reaction. "What's your name?"

She tried to compose herself. "I'm, uh.. my name is… it's… Kahlaya." Real good job at composing herself.

He nodded and folded his arms across his chest. Abruptly, he turned to leave.

"Wait! Um, thank you. For stopping those men," Kahlaya said to his back.

He stopped for a second, but didn't turn around. Without saying anything, he continued walking out the door and closed it behind him.

Kahlaya hadn't really liked being alone with him, but she decided that it had been better than being alone now. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. She closed her eyes and didn't even realize that she was falling asleep, Bakura haunting her dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

Big thank you to** Viki boom **and** BakuraLOLZ99 **for reviewing!

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

When she woke up, there was a tray with a bowl of water, some fabric and a mug of water. Kahlaya leaned away from the wall and drank some of the water. She then unwrapped her silver belt from around her arm. The bleeding had stopped, but it was still a mess. Dipping a clean part of her belt into the bowl of water, she squeezed it over the cut and let the water drip into it. Some of the blood was cleared away, but she knew that she would need to rub the cut to clean it completely. She dipped her belt into the water again and used it to brush the blood away from the cut. She gritted her teeth against the pain, but managed to clean the wound. Kahlaya then cleaned the rest of her arm, feeling better when all the blood was gone. She took the fresh fabric and wrapped it around the wound. Using another piece of fabric that had been provided, she wrapped her forearm with it, covering up her mark.

She drank the rest of the water and looked up at the window. It was night time. She could see stars outside, but not the moon. The moon. She had one more night after this one, and then the moon would be her worst enemy.

She sighed. If anything, her capture was _boring_. There was nothing to do down there but think and look out at the boring sky.

Kahlaya remembered her training with Okpara. Sure, sometimes it wasn't the best thing to be doing, but at least it occupied her every morning. Training. Well, one thing she could do was work on that. Not her battle training, but her senses and the other thing that Okpara had said… her _mental_ training. They didn't work on her mental training as often as her battle training, and she hadn't done any in months, but now was as good a time as ever.

Kahlaya folded her legs under her and concentrated. Okpara had said that she had a power called Aura Emanating. She could control her own aura and see the aura of others. This would reveal to her the state of mind and type of person whoever's aura she's looking at. Okpara had said that it's like seeing a veil around someone. It will glow a certain colour and she'll be able to sense what it means. She hasn't been able to do it yet though, no matter how long or how much she tried. If, once she saw the aura, she expanded her power, she could see the world around her in a way that could reveal to her the people and objects around her that she couldn't see with only her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Kahlaya emptied her mind. She focused on her state of mind, her being, her very essence. Okpara had told her that this was the key to unlocking her aura. She needed to find her own self before she could see anyone else's aura. Kahlaya sifted through all her emotions. Her anger, her fear, her loyalty, her sadness and her happiness. She tried to find the center of those emotions and allow herself to see them in the form of her aura. Kahlaya remembered Okpara telling her that when she found her own serenity within, she would also find her aura. She didn't know why she couldn't find her serenity. She had tried countless times over the years, but she could never find it. He had also told her that if she left out an emotion and didn't merge it with the others, she wouldn't be able to unlock it.

Kahlaya tried to think of an emotion that she might be leaving out. But what? Anger, fear, loyalty, sadness and happiness. What else was there? Sanura's face drifted into her thoughts and then Okpara's. Kahlaya didn't know why. She thought they fit into her loyalty emotion. She gave it more thought. No, they didn't. Kahlaya realized that she felt something different towards them. An emotion she didn't think she had. Love. She loved Sanura like she was a younger sister. Okpara had been there all her life, he was a father to her.

She let the emotion of love flood in with her other emotions and concentrated, trying to get her aura to appear. There was a small spark in her stomach and Kahlaya looked at her hands. A warm glow surrounded her. It was a soft purple-blue. The colour swam in swirls around her entire body, sending a warmth through her. Kahlaya smiled. She had finally unlocked her aura. Okpara had said something about using it to create things. Forces and shields. She tried gathering her aura in her palm, to create a ball that she could throw. Some of the energy swarmed into her hand, merging together and making a sphere the size of her fist. Kahlaya then thrust her hand out, trying to send the force flying, but it didn't work. The aura just evaporated into the air. She would have to work on that.

Kahlaya then tried to push her aura away from her to make a shield, but it wouldn't go far. The purple-blue veil would move about an inch from her body, but then snap back into place. She continued practicing using her aura to make spheres and shields until the stars outside the window disappeared and the sun was sending its first rays into the morning sky.

She hadn't made much progress, but at least she could see her aura now. Kahlaya felt proud to have just accomplished that. She could imagine the proud look on Okpara's face if she had told him about it. Okpara. She didn't realize how much she missed him. He must be worried sick about her. Something warm slid down her cheek and when Kahlaya raised a hand to her face, her hand was wet from her tears. She was crying. Wow. Kahlaya couldn't remember the last time she had cried. She had never liked the feeling. The difficulty breathing and the terrible ache in her stomach. Growling, she wiped the tears away and vowed not to cry again. She was in a thieves' hideout, she couldn't be caught crying. It was showing weakness.

Kahlaya jumped slightly when the door opened and the small, blue-eyed boy came into the room, carrying a tray. He walked in and set it on the floor then he turned to leave.

"Wait," Kahlaya said. The boy stopped.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He hesitated a moment then turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Dakarai." His voice was small, timid.

"Please, Dakarai, tell me why they took Sanura."

He didn't speak for a few seconds. "Because she's a witch."

Kahlaya's eyebrows pulled together. She didn't know what to say to that. Dakarai, thinking she was finished talking, continued to the door.

"Thank you," Kahlaya said before he shut the door behind him.

A witch? What in the name of Ra was he talking about? Sanura wasn't a witch. Kahlaya had known her for many years and nothing magical had ever happened. They obviously didn't know what they were talking about. But what about when they found out Sanura wasn't anyone special? Would they kill her? Kahlaya doubted that they'd send her back to the city. Maybe they'd just let her go. Let her wander around until the desert killed her. Kahlaya felt tears sting her eyes. She wiped them away angrily. She wouldn't let them kill Sanura. There was no way.

With a snarl, Kahlaya lashed out at the tray of food and water. It was sent flying across the room, food rolling across the floor and water soaking into the dirt. She stood and began pacing back and forth, walking as far as the chain would let her before turning around and going the other way.

She paced for the rest of the morning, until a path was worn in the dirt where she had been walking. Finally, when it was well into the afternoon, she stopped and sat down in the dirt. No one had come to her room since Dakarai. Kahlaya fingered the wolf around her neck. Her wolf. Tonight was her last night as a human, then she'd be a wolf for at least four days. Kahlaya looked at the window. Even if the moonlight didn't hit her, she'd still shift. Her and Okpara had tried keeping her out of the moonlight one full moon, but she had shifted at sunrise. So it wasn't the moonlight that changed her. It just made the change come quicker.

As soon as she changed, they would know her secret. Or, at least, they would know that she wasn't normal. She imagined the look on Dakarai's face when he came to give her her daily tray of food and found a wolf instead of a girl. She laughed at the thought.

Quick footfalls sounded from outside her door. Kahlaya's eyes snapped up to look toward the sound. Whoever it was, they sounded like they were in a hurry. The door burst open and Tarik stood there. He was panting and he had a look of fury on his face. He straightened up and smiled wickedly at Kahlaya. She stood as he walked into the room.

Her gaze fell to his arm where blistering teeth marks were still visible. She smiled. He followed her gaze and snarled when he saw what she was smiling at.

"You're going to pay for doing that to me," he growled, spit flying from his mouth.

Kahlaya smirked. "Bakura said that you weren't allowed to touch me."

He laughed. It was an angry, crazy laugh. "Too bad Bakura's not here!"

Kahlaya's smirk faded and her stomach turned. Her pulse raced. Bakura wasn't there to stop Tarik. This time, he wouldn't come to her rescue.

"The others will tell him what you did to me," she threatened nervously.

He chuckled. "I don't think so. It's only me and Dakarai here right now. The others are gone. And if Dakarai tells Bakura, I'll kill him."

Kahlaya's legs wobbled. They felt like they were going to give out from under her.

She tried again. "Bakura will notice that you hurt me. You won't be able to hide the fact that you came down here."

"I don't think so," he sneered. "How often has Bakura come down here, huh? Only once. And that was just to stop us the first time. He's not going to take the time to come check on some prisoner. Dakarai is the only one who ever comes down here."

A whimper escaped Kahlaya's throat. A wide grin spread on Tarik's face. It vanished quickly and he ran the rest of the distance to Kahlaya. She moved out of the way and his charge missed her, but he lashed out with a fist and punched her in the shoulder. It was the same shoulder as her cut and new pain shot down it. She growled and kicked, hitting his stomach. He stumbled back slightly, but regained his footing and struck. He backhanded her across the face and she slammed painfully into the wall. Tarik grabbed the chain in one hand and yanked her closer to him. He then punched her in the stomach. She would have fallen over, but he was still holding onto the chain and prevented her from doing so. He went to punch her again, but she swung her left arm forward and scratched him across one eye. He yelled and let go of the chain to cover his wounded eye with his hands. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, she punched his gut and then swung her leg up to kick him in the head. He dodged her kick and then moved his hands from his eye.

There were four deep, ragged gashes where her nails had shredded his skin. He didn't open his eye and she was glad that she hurt him that much. The cuts were bleeding badly. Blood dripped off his face, into the dirt.

"Bakura may not know that I was hurt, but he will see _you_," Kahlaya said.

He snarled. "I'm not afraid of Bakura."

Kahlaya knew he was lying. "Then why did you look so scared yesterday?"

His arm quickly struck out and caught Kahlaya's jaw. She stumbled, but managed to dodge his next blow. He shot out a leg. Kahlaya jumped out of the way, but it caught the chain and she fell to the dirt. Tarik laughed and kicked her torso. She covered her stomach with her arms while he kicked her more, laughing the whole time. It was getting difficult to breathe and her vision blurred.

She realized that he was going to kill her. It may not have been his intention, but he was too occupied kicking her and laughing like a lunatic that he didn't realize it _could_ kill her.

A sudden, strange feeling filled Kahlaya's body. It was an emotion beyond rage, beyond pain, beyond fear. She seemed to become something other than herself. Using all of the energy she could muster, Kahlaya let her aura show. She gathered all of her emotions. Her anger, hatred, fear, panic, loyalty… love. Then she pushed out her aura with as much force as she could manage. Tarik was hit by the force and flew across the room. He landed, hard, in the middle of the floor and then slid into the wall.

Kahlaya staggered to her feet. Tarik also got up and ran at her. Kahlaya raised her arm and gathered her aura in her palm. She sent a sphere of purple and blue flying at him. It hit Tarik in the stomach and he flew into the wall. It seemed as if Kahlaya was watching herself do everything. It wasn't her controlling her body, but something else, something out of her control.

Her eyes were full of fury and were burning with purple fire.

Tarik stood up again and looked at her, fear plain on his face. "What are you?"

Kahlaya's right forearm began to burn. The fabric fell off of it and revealed her Divine Guardian mark. The silver and black swirls were shining brightly, glowing with an inner light. The wings of the angel sparkled bright silver and seemed to flutter as if in a breeze. The angel itself was glowing with a golden hue. The mark was burning her arm, but it didn't hurt. It felt good, actually. Kahlaya smiled at the warmth.

The door swung open and Bakura came into the room. Dakarai, Green-Eyes, Scar-Face and Hazel-Eyes were behind him. Kahlaya's chaotic eyes moved to look at them for a second before moving back to Tarik who had begun to walk toward the door.

Kahlaya growled. "Don't move, you cowardly thug."

Tarik froze.

Bakura's eyes were on Kahlaya's forearm, staring at her Divine Guardian mark. Everyone else's eyes were there as well, but only Bakura knew what the mark meant.

'_She's a Guardian,' _Bakura thought, a smile spreading across his face, _'The Divine Guardian of the Pharaoh.' _Then a flash of worry crossed his mind. '_A Guardian is supposed to have a bond with the one they serve, so why hasn't anyone come for her yet?' _He needed to speak with her. Alone.

"Everyone get out," he whispered. They all immediately obeyed. Before leaving, they gave Kahlaya fearful glances. Tarik walked to the door, his eyes, or rather, his one good eye, on Kahlaya the whole time. Kahlaya never took her eyes off of him, either.

When he walked in front of Bakura, Tarik pulled his eyes off of Kahlaya and looked at him. By the look on his face, he hadn't really registered that Bakura was in the room until then.

Bakura's eyes moved from Kahlaya and gave him a stony-eyed glare. "I'll deal with you later," he promised.

Kahlaya heard Tarik gulp before scurrying around Bakura and heading up the stairs, away from the room.

As soon as Tarik's footfalls faded, Kahlaya felt herself return to normal. Her beyond emotion state had disappeared and her mark had stopped glowing. The sharp pains in her stomach returned and she fell to the floor, her arms crossed in front of her abdomen. She sat up against the wall with her arms pressed against her stomach and her legs half bent in front of her. Her jaw was aching where she had been hit; she rubbed it with one hand. Her eyes had lost their fire and now she felt exhausted. Her hair fell into her face as she sat there, her head bent forward.

Bakura had watched curiously as Kahlaya returned to her normal self. He shut the door and walked farther into the room, stopping just in front of Kahlaya. She didn't look up at him, but just sat there, her hair obscuring Bakura's view of her face and her arms across her stomach.

"You're the Pharaoh's Divine Guardian," he said, watching her.

She shook her head, her golden hair swinging as she did. "No." Her voice was a rough whisper. "I'm the Prince's Divine Guardian." She didn't bother trying to lie. He had seen the mark and there was no point in lying to him now.

"Why haven't they come looking for you?" he demanded.

"Because they don't know where I went."

He narrowed his eyes. "A Divine Guardian is supposed to have a bond with the one they serve. Why can't the Prince find you using that?" Bakura didn't miss her flinch at the word 'serve'.

She took a shaky breath. "I've only met the Prince once. My training isn't complete. I'm not a full Guardian yet. The bond can't be established until I am fully trained."

"Trained?"

"By the Spirit Master. He teaches me how to fight and control my spirit animal. He also helps me unlock other abilities I may have."

Bakura smiled at how cooperative she was being. He had thought at first that she would make things difficult and wouldn't give up the answers without a little… persuasion.

"What's a spirit animal?"

Her body shook with silent laughter. "You'll find out tomorrow night."

Bakura frowned. "What exactly does that mean?"

She looked up at him, her hair falling out of her face. Her eyes were watery with the beginnings of tears. Her face plainly showed that she was in a lot of pain. "Every person has a spirit animal. A Divine Guardian can use their spirit animal to help them protect the Pharaoh. Tomorrow night is the full moon. That is when I will shift into my spirit form until the full moon dwindles."

"What's your spirit animal?"

Her hand went to her necklace. "I'm a wolf."

Bakura's eyes slid down to her necklace. He wondered why Tarik hadn't taken it off of her when they took the rest of her things.

A warm sensation suddenly rippled through Kahlaya's stomach. The pains lifted and became just a dull ache. Confused, she slid her arms off of herself. The mark on her arm was glowing again. She turned her arm over to reveal the glowing mark. The pain in her jaw and arm faded too. Carefully, Kahlaya unwound the fabric from her upper arm and looked at the gash. She gasped when she saw that it was only a scar now. The mark stopped glowing.

Bakura looked at her forearm. He had only ever seen the mark once before; on Pharaoh Aknemkhanon's Divine Guardian. And, even then, he had only gotten a glimpse of it. Now that he could really see it, Bakura saw the intricate lines forming the angel and its folded wings.

Kahlaya noticed him staring at it. She looked down at it and sighed, then turned her arm back over. Bakura moved is gaze to meet hers. He folded his arms across his chest.

"What happened? When you were fighting Tarik?"

She looked at the ground and fiddled with her necklace. "I… don't know." Bakura frowned, his eyes narrowing. "I just… got this weird feeling." She looked up at his disapproving eyes. She realized that he was used to getting solid answers. She tried to elaborate more. "Okpara told me that I am an Aura Emanator-"

"Okpara?" Bakura interrupted.

"He's my master."

"Ah."

"So, he said that I am an Aura Emanator," when she saw Bakura's confused expression, Kahlaya decided to explain, "which is someone with the power to use their own aura, or spirit essence I guess you could call it, to create shields and forces. They can also see other people's aura's and do many other, more advanced things with it. That's what I did to make Tarik so fearful." She shrugged. "Since I had nothing better to do down here, I decided to practice with my aura. I could never even see it before, but now I'm sending people flying across rooms. I doubt I could do it again unless the circumstances were as risky." She said the last sentence more to herself than to Bakura.

"Interesting," he said thoughtfully. She could be useful, if he managed to bring her over to his side. It was a risky idea. She was the Divine Guardian of the next pharaoh. People would definitely be looking for her. Of course, she didn't seem too enthusiastic whenever the idea of her serving the pharaoh came up.

He turned around to leave and Kahlaya's heart fell.

"Um, you don't have any more questions?" she asked hopefully. If he left, she'd have to just sit there and be bored for the rest of the day. She could practice more, or try to go to sleep, but neither of those options seemed as appealing to her as actually talking to someone was.

"Not for the moment," he replied.

Kahlaya smiled. Hopefully, that meant that he'd be back. She watched Bakura leave the room, closing the door silently behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ohhh, now he knows her secret! What's going to happen next? I have this story written up to Chapter 16, but I'll take my time with posting the chapters... unless a lot of people start reading... then I might pick up the pace. ;)<strong>

**Massive thanks to everyone who reviews! **

**-AuraWolf**


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! **Viki boom, Dakota Ishtar, BakuraLOLZ99 **and** YamiOkami!**

Chapter 5

Bakura did return and it was only a few hours after he had asked her about being a Divine Guardian. It was just after sunset and the room was dark.

Kahlaya was lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She was playing with her necklace and when the door opened, candlelight flickered into the room. Kahlaya was so used to the darkness, that just looking at the candle made her see spots. She sat up and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the spots and, when she lowered her hands, she was surprised to see Bakura kneeling right next to her.

He leaned toward her and pushed her hair behind her shoulder. Kahlaya kept very still and held her breath as he stuck a key into the collar and turned it. His hand brushed against her neck as he moved. The collar unlocked and he pulled it away from her neck, setting it onto the floor. He stood up.

"Follow me," he said, walking back to the door.

Kahlaya stood and obediently walked after Bakura, staying just a step behind him. It felt good, stepping through the doorway and out of her little prison. She felt like she was walking to freedom, but she knew that that wasn't the case, no matter how much she wished and tried to pretend it was. She was still a prisoner here. But, hadn't she also been a prisoner back in the city? She had already had her life planned for her. All she had been was a dog on a leash, following her master around and obeying his commands. Just like now. She was still a dog on a leash, she was just following someone else around instead.

Some things never change. Kahlaya sighed.

Bakura glanced back at her for a second before looking ahead again. "You should be happy. You won't be living in that dungeon anymore."

Kahlaya half-smiled. "Oh, I am happy. That's not why I was sighing."

Bakura had led her up a few flights of stairs and into the huge main room. Candlelight was the only thing that lightened the hallways and rooms. Bakura went down the hallway on the left and Kahlaya followed, somewhat disappointed. She had begun to hope that he would let her see Sanura, or at least have a room next to her.

Kahlaya's eyes widened. Sanura! She had almost forgotten all about her. Kahlaya felt terrible for forgetting the reason she had come here in the first place. Kahlaya promised herself that she would get Sanura out.

She and Bakura walked down the corridor until the only way to go was right or into a room. He took a key from his robe pocket and unlocked the door at the very end of the hallway. Pushing open the door, he held his arm out, inviting Kahlaya to step inside.

She walked into the room and was glad to see a bed with a blanket and pillow. There was also a small table and a chair in the corner. A tray of food was on the table. Her robe had been placed on the bed. There was a window, but it had bars vertically placed along it.

_'Well, it was better than having a window that I couldn't even see out of,'_ Kahlaya decided.

Bakura came into the room and set the candle he was carrying on the table. He pointed to a small wooden chest that was at the foot of the bed.

"There are fresh clothes in there, if you want them," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you."

He grunted.

Kahlaya went over to her robe and checked the pocket. Of course. Her money pouch was gone. She hadn't really had her hopes up about it, but she still had to check. Then she remembered something else she had come to the hideout with.

She looked at Bakura. He was gazing out the window, but looked at her when she spoke to him. "Where's my horse?"

He smiled. "The grey appaloosa? He is quite the horse. He's in the stable. I was actually riding him today."

Kahlaya growled. "He is mine."

Bakura laughed. "He may have been your horse, but you walked into a thieves' hideout, unless you've forgotten. He is on my territory and in my stable so he's my horse."

Kahlaya smirked. She realized that there was no hope in arguing with him so she changed the subject. "Could I… would it be possible for me to… maybe… see Sanura?" She looked out the window as she asked him.

Bakura's smile faded and his eyes narrowed. "No."

She glared at him, she was getting angry that she couldn't see her practically-sister. "Why?"

He looked at her with stony eyes. "Because she's dangerous."

"What?" Kahlaya's eyebrows flew up and her mouth gaped open. "She's dangerous? She's ten!"

Her voice was rising angrily and tears were blossoming in her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was rage or sadness that made them appear. Kahlaya mentally slapped herself. She would not cry.

"You don't understand what she is."

Kahlaya folded her arms across her chest. "Then please explain."

"If it will mean shutting you up and getting you to stop expecting to see her, then alright," Bakura said angrily. "She is a Shadow Walker. She can communicate with and control the spirits of the dead. She can also go to the Spirit World in her dreams."

Kahlaya's blood had turned cold. She sat down on the edge of the bed. She had heard stories of Shadow Walkers. All of them had grown to be terrible people, always committing crimes and murdering people. There were soldiers who searched for them. If they found anyone they even suspected of being a Shadow Walker, they killed them. Kahlaya couldn't believe that Sanura, the sweet, innocent child she loved, was a Shadow Walker.

"No," she whispered. "No, she's not."

"She is. And she would have been killed in the city anyway, if she had stayed there." Bakura smirked. "You should really be thanking me. I saved her from being killed by your future-master's soldiers."

With that, Bakura left the room. He closed and locked the door behind him.

Kahlaya sat there, staring into space. She couldn't believe Bakura. Sanura wasn't a Shadow Walker. Tears rolled down her face. She angrily brushed them away. She hated crying. What Bakura had said had really hit home too. The way he had said 'your future-master' had hit her with such force that she couldn't breathe right.

Kahlaya tried to calm herself and sat on the edge of her bed for so long, that the candle had almost burned out before she finally walked over and blew out the flame. She lay down in the bed, with her head on the opposite end as the pillow, and looked outside.

It was cloudy, but the clouds sometimes parted enough to reveal the stars. She sighed and closed her eyes. This was her last night. Tomorrow night, as soon as the moonlight hit her, she would turn into her spirit animal.

Kahlaya woke in the late morning, sunlight shinning onto her face. She sat up and forgot where she was for a moment. Then she remembered the night before. She growled angrily and stood up. Walking over to the table, she picked up a piece of bread and nibbled on it. She wasn't very hungry, but at least eating was something to do. She also sipped from the cup of water. When she was satisfied with the amount of water she had drank, Kahlaya splashed the rest into her face and used her dress to wipe her face clean. It felt nice to have all the dirt, tears and old kohl eyeliner off of her face.

Kahlaya turned and padded over to the small trunk at the base of her bed. Sitting down with her legs folded under her, she lifted the lid and peered inside.

There was a nice linen dress inside, folded neatly. She pulled it out and looked it over. It looked to be just passed knee-length and was white. The neck was U-shaped and fell more loosely than the one she was wearing now. The sleeves were wide and loose and they looked to go about halfway down her arms in frilly waves. There was also a black wrap-around belt inside the trunk. Kahlaya knew that the clothing had been stolen, but it would be nice to change out of her dirty, raggedy dress.

Sighing, she stood and quickly changed clothes. She then threw her old dress into a corner. Kahlaya loved the feel of the clean dress as it fell loosely over her. The sleeves were her favourite.

She sat on the edge of the bed and slid her fingers through her hair, getting the tangles out and smoothing it as best she could. When she was satisfied, she looked outside, into the bright, sunny morning.

Today was her last day as a human for a while. She longed to go outside and feel the heat of the sun and the hot sand under her feet. She really wanted to go for a swim in the Nile. She loved going swimming when the heat was high, especially after battle training.

Battle training. Thinking of it made Kahlaya think of Okpara which made her heart ache. She missed him. He may have just been another person controlling her life, but his life had been decided for him as well. He hadn't chosen to be the Spirit Master. The title had been passed down to him from his father. It was his family's destiny to carry on the duty of the Spirit Master.

Kahlaya was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard the door open. When she turned her head away from the window, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Bakura standing just inside the door. She jumped slightly, his sudden appearance a little frightening.

For some reason, she found herself glad to see him, even if what he had said to her the night before had stung. She saw his eyes travel from her face, down the length of her body and back up again. She felt a little self-conscious and realized she was blushing. Embarrassed, she turned her face away from him.

"Is there something you want?" she asked harshly.

He growled slightly. "You do realize that I could kill you if I wanted to?"

She laughed. "I suppose you could. But the question is: Do you want to?"

Leaning against the wall, he studied her. She still had her face turned away from him, but he could still see one side. It was strange, he realized, having someone around who wasn't really afraid of him. She may have acted like she was at first, but now she spoke to him like he was just some petty thief. For some reason, ever since the first time he had seen her, he had trouble keeping her out of his mind. He tried to push her away, but it wouldn't work. He could feel her presence like he was being pulled toward her by a chain.

She turned her face to look at him. He looked into her huge, deep, purple-blue eyes and he felt a strange emotion in the pit of his stomach. He noticed how pretty she looked in her dress. She giggled and he blinked a few times. He realized that he was smiling. Hurriedly, he turned his mouth down into a straight line.

She was still giggling.

"What's the matter, great Thief King? Embarrassed that you actually _smiled_?" She asked.

He scowled and ignored her question. "Stop mocking me or you'll be missing a tongue."

She laughed more. "Ah, come on. I thought it was kind of sweet, 'Kura."

His eyes became slits and his eyebrows pressed together. His voice turned deadly. "Do not call me that. And if you mock me anymore, you'll be missing much more than just your tongue."

Kahlaya stopped laughing and gave him a cold look. "Whatever you say, King of Thieves." Her voice had a hard edge to it. She looked back out the window.

Bakura spun and left the room, slamming the door behind him and locking it.

_'That disrespectful little witch! How _dare_ she speak to me like that! Maybe I should just kill her and get her out of the way. The Pharaoh would be without his Divine Guardian and I'd have the honour of being the reason for his Guardian's death.' _ Bakura smiled at the thought. _'Then the people of Egypt would have another reason to fear me.' _

He slowed his strode to a walk and thought it through. He still had the Shadow Walker. She would be useful. It had been a long time since he had come across a Shadow Walker. The Pharaoh's soldiers usually did a good job of getting rid of them.

Still, having the _Divine Guardian_ at his side would give him such power. Kahlaya didn't seem too thrilled about being the Prince's Guardian. Maybe bringing her over to his side wouldn't be as difficult as he thought.

The only problem he had was her annoying arrogance and enraging mockery. He supposed he would have to try to deal with it. He smiled. It would all be worth it in the long run.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya sat on her bed and watched the last rays of the sun sink below the horizon. She had been slightly disappointed that Bakura hadn't come back to her room. Soon the only way she could communicate would be to speak with her telepathy.<p>

She sighed and looked down at the beautiful dress and then looked at her ragged one in the corner. She decided that she'd rather shred her dirt covered dress than her new clean one, so she quickly changed back into her dirty clothes. After folding the dress and belt and placing them back in the trunk, Kahlaya went over to the table and ate the rest of the bread from that morning. She had been given another tray with food and water so she cleaned that up too.

When she was finished, Kahlaya returned to her position on the bed. The sun had set and stars began to twinkle in the night sky. The moon would soon show itself.

She was watching the sky grow darker and darker when she heard the lock on her door click and the door quietly swung open. She continued to gaze out the window and didn't bother to look at him. The door shut behind him as he took a few steps into the room.

She closed her eyes. "You really shouldn't be here."

"And why's that?"

She opened her eyes and looked back out the window. "Because sometimes it's hard to control myself when I'm a wolf." She looked at his face. It was partially hidden in shadow. She narrowed her eyes. "I could hurt you."

He laughed without humor and took his sword from his belt. "I think I'll manage. If you try."

She studied his face for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the window. She shivered. "I can already feel it."

She could sense the moon's presence and felt the wolf inside her stir. She tried to focus on what Okpara had always told her before a shift. "Take hold of the wolf and tame it. Let it only come out when you want it to, not when you're forced to." She could feel the wolf there, but she couldn't get a grip on it.

"Why are you here?" She asked Bakura. Maybe him being there was messing with her concentration. Okpara had always left her alone. He would stand on the other side of the door and talk her through it. Help her control it.

"I want to know what it's like. See it for myself," he said it with a flat voice. Kahlaya had a feeling that there was more to it than that.

They remained silent as they waited for the moon to make its way to that side of the temple.

Bakura broke the silence.

"Why don't you just stay out of the moonlight?"

Kahlaya shook her head. "I've tried that before. It worked until sunrise. As soon as the sun came over the horizon, I shifted. It doesn't really have anything to do with the moonlight. It just triggers the change."

Bakura nodded and returned to silently watching the night sky.

Kahlaya's eyes focused on the silvery sand outside. Her hand found her wolf necklace. She traced the lines of the carving with her fingers.

It was after midnight when the moon finally appeared at the corner of the window. Kahlaya squeaked and scrambled off the bed, standing in the shadowy corner.

"What are you doing?" Bakura asked, his eyes on her.

"I don't… want to change," she said, her jaw clenching. Her eyes fearfully stared at the moonlight that shone onto her bed, where she had been sitting.

He sighed impatiently. "You're going to have to sometime. Just get it over with." He thought about just pushing her into the light, but decided against it.

Kahlaya growled. "No. I'm going to control it."

She could feel the wolf inside her, just below the surface, but she couldn't get a grip on it. The animal kept slipping through her fingers.

Time slipped by and more moonlight filtered into the room. Kahlaya continued to try and tame the beast, but she couldn't. Sweat rolled down the side of her face and her jaw hurt from keeping it clenched.

The moonlight expanded until it was at her toes. She retreated to the wall, pressing her back against it.

Bakura watched her with apt curiosity. He could see how hard she was trying to control her spirit animal and how difficult it was. He knew that her efforts were useless. It she hadn't conquered it yet, than she wasn't going to in the few minutes it would take for the moonlight to reach her.

His eyes followed the moonlight as it hit her bare feet. Her body began trembling. It ran from her feet up to her head. She wrapped her arms around herself and her head bent forward, hair falling into her face. Kahlaya's knees buckled under her and she fell to the floor, landing on her side. She was fully in the light of the moon now. Bakura watched her body convulse in spasms. She whined softly. He took a step towards Kahlaya, desperately wanting to help her. He didn't know why he felt that way. He had never felt that before, but seeing her on the ground, obviously in pain, he just… needed to do something. But there was nothing to do. All he could do was watch helplessly.

She groaned and her head lifted, then she looked directly into Bakura's eyes. He stared back at her as her back arched and her hands turned to paws. She kept her eyes focused on his and he kept his on hers. She convulsed again and groaned. He could plainly see pain in her wide eyes. The rest of the transformation was quick.

Fur sprouted from her skin and a tail grew from her tail bone. Pointed ears shot out of her head and her nose stretched into a snout, lined with sharp teeth. Her dress ripped and hung in rags around her torso. Kahlaya's wolf necklace had stayed around her neck. Her eyes had stayed focused on Bakura as she had changed.

Now there was a larger-than-average wolf lying on its side on the floor. Her fur was snow white. Her paws, tail tip and ear-tips were silvery-gray. There were also flecks of silver under her eyes, down the middle of her back and over her shoulders. The fur on the underside of her tail was also tipped with gray. Her eyes were the same. The exact same. They remained fixed on Bakura's eyes as she stood up.

They stared at each other for a while. Neither of them moved or made a sound. Finally, Bakura lowered his eyes to her front right leg. Her mark was still there and was sparkling in the moonlight. Kahlaya growled and his eyes snapped back up to hers. She looked angry and her teeth were partially bared. Bakura drew his sword.

Her eyes flashed to his sword for a second, but then her head swung around and she grabbed at the fabric still hanging around her body. She tugged on one piece and ripped it off, but another was too far down her body for her to reach. She growled again and continued to try and grab it with her teeth.

Bakura smirked and walked toward her. Her head turned back and she watched his approach. She didn't move as he slid his sword under the fabric and cut it. She shook her fur out when the cloth fell onto the floor.

She huffed and sat down, looking at Bakura.

He eyed her carefully. "What are you looking at, Wolf?"

Kahlaya lifted her shoulders then dropped them down, as if in a shrug.

Bakura slid his sword back into his belt. "Well, it looks like you aren't going to attack me."

She made a snickering sound that he presumed was wolf-laughter. "_I wouldn't be so sure."_

Bakura's eyebrows shot up and he took a step back. "What?"

"_I said, that, if I were you, I wouldn't be so sure about me not attacking you."_

His eyebrows went back down and he smirked. "I was sort of looking forward to you not being able to talk."

Kahlaya snickered again. "_I wouldn't really call it _talking._ It's actually telepathy."_

His eyes narrowed. "You better stay out of my head."

"_Don't worry. I can't read your thoughts. I can just put _my _thoughts into _your_ head. So, this way, I can communicate with people. You didn't really think that a Divine Guardian would have no way of communicating while in their spirit form, did you?"_

She yawned widely, revealing her mouthful of razor-teeth. Getting to her feet, Kahlaya jumped onto the bed and lay down with a sigh. She rested her head on her front paws and looked at Bakura. He was still watching her.

"_Well, you got to see my shifting. Have any questions for me?"_

He didn't answer, but walked to the door. Before leaving he looked at her and asked. "You don't howl, do you?"

She laughed. _"I could. But I won't. Unless I get bored. Then maybe."_

Bakura scowled and left the room.

Kahlaya stared at the door long after he had gone. She thought about the strange connection she had felt while she had been shifting. It had been like looking into his eyes had somehow made everything better. She hadn't felt the pain of the wolf taking her body. His eyes had taken her away from all of it and had given her a momentary sense of warmth and peace as her body morphed into a beast. She didn't understand how that had happened. Of course, no one had ever been with her while she shifted. Kahlaya tried to make herself believe that that would have happened no matter who she had been looking at while becoming a wolf. She knew that she was lying to herself.

She breathed in through her nose. The room still smelled of Bakura. His scent wasn't as musky as the other thieves, but was more like the smell of waterfalls and marble. Kahlaya found herself breathing it in as she laid there. Growling, she dug her nose into her own robe. That was better. The smell of herself and of her home.

Her eyelids drooped and she found herself drifting into a deep sleep, full of waterfalls and stones of marble.

* * *

><p><strong>Waterfalls and marble... I have no idea what that smells like, but it should smell good, right? Let's just go with it. Now she's a wolf... won't this be interesting? <strong>

**Look, I updated two days in a row! Huzza! **

**Review!**

**-AuraWolf**


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

Chapter 6

Opening her eyes and yawning, Kahlaya drowsily rose to her paws and jumped off the bed. She stretched her legs and looked out the window. It was cloudy and she couldn't tell what time it was. Looking around the room she saw the shredded pieces of her dress and, next to the table, there was a bowl of water and a slab of meat.

Smirking, she walked over to the water and lapped up a few mouthfuls. She turned to the meat. It smelled fine. More than fine. Her mouth watered at the scent. Licking her lips, Kahlaya reached down and took a bite out of the meat. It was tender and juicy and slid easily down her throat. Smiling a strange, wolf-smile, she ate the rest of the meat in a few bites. She was glad to see that there was a bone left over. Picking it up, she walked over to her bed and laid down on the floor beside it, her back pressed against the bed post. Holding the bone between her front paws, she chewed happily on the bone.

When the bone was almost gone and she decided to save the rest for later, Kahlaya got up and walked over to the ragged fabric strewn over the floor. Using her front paws, she pushed all of the pieces into a pile in the corner. Sighing, she laid down on the cool floor.

Being a wolf was just as boring as being human. Maybe even more so. She had her head on her paws and was watching the door. She didn't really expect any visits, but she sort of hoped.

After a few hours of silence, other than the distant sound of voices and footsteps, Kahlaya got up and went back to chewing her bone. When she was just finishing, her door unlocked and Bakura came in. She swallowed it and raised her head.

He walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Without looking at her, he went to the table and put his hands on the surface, leaning into them. Kahlaya looked at his back as he stood there.

She could easily smell the anger and annoyance rolling off of him. She sincerely hoped it wasn't directed towards her. Kahlaya waited, letting him compose himself. After a few long minutes, he spoke, his voice an angry whisper.

"How long have you known Sanura?" he asked.

Kahlaya was surprised by the question. "_I met her when she was three. I was nine. So, seven years."_

He didn't say anything for a while. She wondered why he had asked the question. And why was he so upset? Not wanting to pester him, Kahlaya waited for him to say something else.

"She wants to see you," he muttered.

Kahlaya's ears perked up and she jumped to her feet. "_Really?"_

He nodded, still not turning around. "Yes. She won't do anything unless she sees you first."

She took a step forward. "_Can I?"_

Bakura stood up straight and turned to look at her. "Fine. But I need to get something first."

He left the room and the door shut behind him.

Joy filled Kahlaya's body. She was going to see Sanura! Even if she was a wolf, it didn't matter. Sanura knew who and what she was. At last, she was going to get to see her.

Bakura was back in a few moments and had a chain in his hand. Growling, Kahlaya flattened her ears and took a few steps back.

He grunted impatiently and walked toward her. "I'm not going to let you just walk out of here, wolf. You'd just run away. I can't let that happen, now can I? So either you let me put this on you, or I'll find another way to get Sanura to do what I want."

Kahlaya realized that she was going to need to get him to trust her before she could do anything 'off leash'. This was a good time to start. She stopped growling and walked toward him. Bakura smiled and knelt down to put the chain around her neck. He passed the end he was holding through a loop, so that he could tighten it if he needed to.

Once it was securely around her neck, Bakura stood and led her out of the room. Kahlaya trotted along beside him. For a wolf, she was tall and her back reached his waist. Her nails clicked on the stone floor as they made their way to Sanura's room. Kahlaya didn't need Bakura to lead her there; she already knew where it was.

They stopped beside Sanura's door and Bakura took a key from his pocket. Kahlaya presumed that it was the master key, seeing as how he used it for every door. He inserted it in the lock and pushed the door open. She walked in front of Bakura and entered the room.

It was the same as before, and was just like hers. There was a bed, a table and a chair. The only difference was that this room didn't have a window. Only a candle flickering on the table provided any light.

Sanura sat on her bed. Her legs were folded cross-legged in front of her. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped in front of her with her head bent toward them. She looked like she was praying. Her long hair fell over her shoulders and in her face.

Kahlaya tried to walk up to the bed, but the chain was pulled tight and she stopped. Bakura kept the chain tight as he walked into the room, around Kahlaya and stood beside the bed. Kahlaya remained where she was, her eyes intently watching Sanura.

Bakura shook Sanura's shoulder.

"Alright, she's here," he said to her. His voice sounded angry, but, underneath, Kahlaya could hear a different emotion. Compassion? She must have been imagining it.

Sanura raised her head and her eyes opened. Kahlaya was shocked to see that her bright blue eyes had turned a dark, navy shade of blue. There were dark circles under them.

She smiled and stretched her hands toward Kahlaya. Hesitantly, Kahlaya walked forward and put her front legs up on the bed. Sanura wrapped her arms around Kahlaya's neck in a tight embrace. Something felt different. Off from the way Sanura usually hugged her. She didn't know what it was, but she had a feeling that it had something to do with Sanura's dark appearance.

_ 'Maybe she is a Shadow Walker,' _Kahlaya thought. '_She is really beginning to look like one.'_

The thought tore a hole in her heart. She loved Sanura. She didn't want the sweet, innocent girl she loved to be something so dark and evil.

"_Hi, Sanura," _Kahlaya said into her mind. _"How are you feeling?"_

Sanura took her arms off of Kahlaya and sat back on the bed. She smiled. Even her smile was different. A little bit less friendly.

"I'm just fine." Her voice was hollow and carried with it a sense of darkness.

A shiver shot through Kahlaya. She looked quickly at Bakura, who was watching their exchange with curious eyes. She looked into his eyes for a moment. He stared back. Then she broke her gaze away from him and back at her frightening friend.

Kahlaya slid her front legs from the bed and landed back on the floor. She took a step back, towards the door.

"_It was nice seeing you, Sanura."_

Sanura was still smiling. "It was nice to see you, too, Kahlaya."

Kahlaya wanted nothing more than to get out of that room. Sanura had definitely changed. She wished that she had never come to see her in the first place. Kahlaya had never felt so afraid in her life.

She looked at Bakura. His eyes fell to meet hers.

"_Mind if we go?" _She asked hopefully. She really didn't want to stay in Sanura's room.

Bakura nodded and began walking toward the door. Sanura's eyes shot to him.

"You're leaving?" She forced her face into a mask of sadness. Kahlaya could still see the malice in the young girl's eyes.

Kahlaya forced a wolf smile. "_Yeah, for now. Maybe I'll see you later though."_

Sanura's face broke into another dark smile and her gaze returned to Kahlaya. "I hope so."

Kahlaya backed toward the door, not taking her eyes off of Sanura. Bakura opened the door and she walked through, still not moving her purple eyes from Sanura's dark blue ones. She didn't look away until Bakura closed the door and locked it.

Bakura started to walk down the hallway. Kahlaya followed slowly, her head down and her tail brushing the floor. Her paws dragged on the stone. She trailed so far behind him that the chain became taught and tightened around her neck. He tugged her forward so she trotted ahead to walk beside him.

"Is that not what you had been expecting?" Bakura asked smugly.

'_Not exactly,' _Kahlaya murmured.

They continued walking in silence. When they reached Kahlaya's room, Bakura opened the door and Kahlaya walked inside. Without bothering to get him to take the chain off, she slumped down in the middle of the floor, facing the door, her head on the stone. She sighed deeply and stared emotionlessly ahead.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked.

She didn't answer him. From down the hallway, there was the sound of running feet. Bakura turned partially and looked at Scar-Face who appeared in the doorway. There was a look of panic on his face. She lifted her head.

"What is it, Kosey?" Bakura asked, somewhat impatiently.

Kosey was panting from running and from his state of fear. "We're…. under… attack!"

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "How many?"

Kosey caught his breath. "At least a dozen."

Bakura smirked and began closing the door. Kahlaya jumped to her feet and rushed at the door, only to have it slam in her face.

"_I can help!"_ she told Bakura. _"Let me out!"_

She heard him laugh. "I'm not an idiot," he hissed.

Kahlaya heard both Bakura and Kosey hurry down the hall until their footfalls faded.

Even after she knew the door was locked, Kahlaya threw herself at it. She ran at the door, slamming her shoulder into it. The door shook slightly, but it wouldn't open. Growling, she tried again. Still, it wouldn't open. When she ran at it again, she tripped on the chain and crashed onto the cold floor. With a snarl, she jumped up and shook the chain off.

Kahlaya could hear the distant sounds of swords clashing and people yelling.

Growling in frustration, Kahlaya pounded against the door. It rattled on its hinges, but still wouldn't open.

The sound of footsteps brought Kahlaya to a stop. They halted outside the door and she thought that someone had finally come to let her out.

She heard the lock on the door break and it was swung open. Someone she had never seen before stood in the doorway. He was older, in his twenties, and had a strange symbol burned into his arm. He had an odd scent that stung Kahlaya's nose. He was holding a sword and when his eyes found Kahlaya, he raised it and walked toward her.

Kahlaya flattened her ears and bared her teeth, growling. She crouched down, ready to spring. The man's gaze moved to her front right leg and his eyes widened.

"A Divine Guardian," he whispered.

Taking advantage of his distraction, Kahlaya leapt. Her front paws slammed into his chest and he fell over backward, her on top of him. She quickly bit his throat, breaking an artery and his windpipe.

Not wasting any more time with him, Kahlaya jumped off his body and bounded down the hallway, toward the main room and the sounds of battle.

There wasn't anyone in the main room, so she ran through it, going to the hall that led to the outside. Kahlaya sprinted through the doorway and skidded to a halt. She observed the scene in front of her.

People were fighting everywhere. She noticed all of the thieves from that hideout, all of them were fighting at least two attackers. There were a few bodies lying in the sand and blood was splattered across the ground.

Her eyes searched the fray, looking for one person. She saw him, in the middle of the fighting. He was up against two attackers. Both of them were older and larger than he was. Kahlaya saw a cut on his arm, but it didn't look deep, and another on his stomach.

Snarling, she leapt into the crowd of fighting bodies. Dodging and ducking around blades and people, she made her way toward Bakura, to help even the odds.

Before she reached him, an enemy cut down Green-Eyes and turned to Bakura. He was approaching from behind and Bakura was too occupied to have even the slightest chance of stopping him.

Kahlaya picked up her pace and bolted toward the sneaky attacker. He raised his blade and was about to stab Bakura through his back, but Kahlaya came up on his side and grabbed the arm holding the sword. He yelled in pain and surprise, his blade falling from his hand. Twisting her head, Kahlaya twisted his arm and she heard the snap of his shoulder. He screamed and grabbed the scruff of her neck with his free hand. She let go of his useless arm and snapped at his legs. She managed to bite one of his shins and pulled. He fell to the sand. She was dragged down with him by his hold on her fur. Rolling, she managed to break his grip on her neck. She jumped to her feet and lunged at his throat. After ripping it out, she leapt back and turned around to look at Bakura.

He was holding his own against his attackers and didn't have any new wounds, but Kahlaya could tell that he wouldn't be able to beat both of them. Now, they were circling around each other.

With a snarl, Kahlaya bounded over to stand beside Bakura. He glanced down at her for a second before moving his eyes back to his opponents.

The men looked surprised to see a wolf, but their concentration didn't waver.

One of them laughed. "Can't fight for yourself, Thief King?"

Bakura scowled and Kahlaya growled.

"_Why don't you fight him one-on-one and see how you do?" _she asked the man who had taunted Bakura.

He swung his head from side to side and looked around with fright.

"What… what was that?"

"What?" his partner asked, not keeping his eyes off of Bakura. He was ready to jump in and defend the other man if Bakura attacked during his confusion.

"I heard a voice in my head."

Kahlaya snickered her wolf-laugh.

The man looked at her. When she stepped with her right leg, his eyes fell to her mark. His eyes filled with fear.

"It's a… a…" he stammered.

"A what!" The other man yelled, angry.

"It's a Divine Guardian!" He pointed at Kahlaya and his partner followed his hand.

Kahlaya and Bakura both moved at the same time. Bakura lunged at the man who had taunted him and Kahlaya at the other. She latched onto the wrist of the hand holding his sword. He yelled and punched her head with his other hand. He hit her hard in the temple. She saw stars and her grip loosened. He ripped his arm from her grasp. Out of the corner of her eye, Kahlaya saw his fist coming towards her. She ducked quickly out of the way and the punch missed. Shaking her head once to clear it, she snapped at his ankle. He kicked his foot back so she just scraped it with her teeth, taking a layer of skin off. His foot then came forward in a swift kick. Kahlaya jumped back, out of the way. Without missing a beat, he swung his sword. Kahlaya tried to dodge, but her ear was nicked. Pain shot down her ear, but she ignored it and lunged for his arm, managing to get a hold on his forearm and she clamping her jaws down as tight as she could. Her teeth scraped against bone. The man yelled and switched his sword to the other hand. Kahlaya shook her head, tearing his arm more and shaking him off balance, her paws scrambled in the sand as she tugged him forward. He swung his sword out, trying to hit her neck, but she jumped to the side, pulling his arm with her. The sword had missed and he had almost hit his own arm. He groaned in pain and anger. His leg snapped forward and she didn't have time to leap out of the way before it collided with her chest.

The air rushed out of her lungs and she couldn't breathe. Letting go of the man's arm, she coughed and tried to get air into her lungs. He yelled and brought his sword down toward her. Kahlaya crouched and leapt farther away, but the blade sliced across her shoulders. She yelped and scrambled away from her attacker. She stood up, but her head was spinning from her lack of air. She looked up at him in time to see his foot heading for her face. He crushed her snout and her head was snapped back. He kicked her shoulder and she fell onto her side. Shuffling backward, Kahlaya watched as he raised his sword, a wicked smile on his face.

He was about to strike when he stopped and looked away from her. He lifted his sword in front of him to block a swing from Bakura's sword.

Kahlaya staggered to her paws, her legs wobbly and the cut on her shoulders coating her fur in blood. Her snout was paining and blood filled her mouth. She spit it out and looked to where Bakura had been fighting his first opponent. The man was lying in the sand. He was on his stomach in a pool of blood. Looked like he wasn't much of a fighter on his own after all.

She turned her eyes back to Bakura's new fight. Kahlaya could see that he was tired. His face was covered in sweat and the cuts he had received were bleeding. Even though one of his opponent's arms was badly bleeding and was missing a huge piece, Bakura still wasn't at much of an advantage. Each time he swung, the man just agily jumped out of the way and swung back. They were both injured and tired. The question was: who had the most energy? Kahlaya reconsidered.

'_No, it wasn't about energy. The one with the best _reason _was the one who would win.'_

The man lunged and Bakura dodged out of the way. Quickly, Bakura turned and slashed his opponent's chest. A deep gash was left behind. Blood pumped out of the cut and slid down the man's front, soaking into his kilt and dripping onto the sand. It wasn't fatal though, at least not yet. He was losing a lot of blood, making his energy drain faster. Bakura went to lunge at him again, but the man side-stepped at the last minute and grabbed his arm. He yanked a startled Bakura forward and kneed him in the stomach. Swinging his sword, Bakura ran it through the man's thigh. He yelled and dropped Bakura. Without letting him get to his feet, the man stabbed his blade toward Bakura's exposed back. Seeing the attack from over his shoulder, Bakura rolled and the fatal blow missed its target. Instead, it stabbed into Bakura's side. He yelled in pain. The man pulled his sword out and went to stab Bakura again and, this time, Kahlaya knew he wouldn't be able to dodge.

Without thinking, but out of pure instinct, Kahlaya felt herself running forward despite the pain in her head, shoulders and mouth. She lunged at the man before he could bring his sword all the way down. Colliding into his side, they both fell to the ground. One of his arms was useless and the one holding the sword was splayed out beside him, so he had no way of defending himself as Kahlaya sank her teeth into his neck. She angrily tore out his throat and then leapt off of him and turned to Bakura.

He was clutching his bleeding stab wound and was perched up on one elbow. There was blood all down the arm holding his side. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were pierced with pain. Kahlaya bounded over to him. A pool of blood was forming under his body.

She didn't know what to do. In her wolf form, there wasn't much she could do. There wasn't anything around to press against the wound to help stop the bleeding. Bakura had one of his hands pressed against it, but blood gushed through his fingers.

Sitting down beside him, she put her front paws over his hand and gently applied pressure. He winced slightly at the pain. His head came up and his eyes met hers. She gazed into his pain-filled violet eyes. They stayed that way for a few moments. Neither of them felt or cared about their own pain. All they saw were the other's eyes.

People appearing around them broke Kahlaya and Bakura out of their trances. Someone grabbed Kahlaya by the nape of her neck and pulled her away from Bakura. She yelped as it stung her shoulders. She tried to twist out of the grip, but they hung on so tightly it was hurting her neck.

"Stay away from him, Dog," Tarik snarled in her ear.

When she realized who it was, she growled and struggled more forcefully. He laughed at her feeble attempts.

"Put her down, Tarik," Bakura growled.

Tarik grumbled and pushed Kahlaya away from him. She growled at him and then turned her head to Bakura. He was struggling to stand up. Someone had given him a rag of some sort and he had it pressed against his stab wound. He managed to stand and began staggering toward the temple.

Kahlaya walked up beside him. He placed a hand on her back and held onto a fistful of her fur. She stepped closer to him so that her side brushed against his leg. If he needed any support or stumbled, he'd be able to lean into her.

"Do something with the bodies, would you?" Bakura called over his shoulder. He sounded strong, the same as he had before, but, underneath, Kahlaya could hear the pain in his voice.

Kahlaya glanced back over her shoulder. Tarik, Dakarai and Kosey were still standing. Green-Eyes and Hazel-Eyes were on the ground, surrounded by blood. Dakarai had a bad cut on his cheek and a few more on his arms, but he seemed all right. Tarik had a nasty gash from his eye to his jaw and another on his forearm. Kosey had one across his chest, but seemed okay other than that. They all looked exhausted, but they began dragging the bodies away from the temple.

She looked ahead as they walked into the shadowed entranceway to the temple. She and Bakura walked through the main room and down the left hallway. Getting to the end, they passed by Kahlaya's room, the dead body lying in the doorway, and turned right to continue down the corridor. Bakura had taken his hand from her back and was instead using the wall for support. He stopped outside the door that was just next to hers. The door wasn't locked, so he opened it and walked inside. Kahlaya followed after him and used a hind leg to push the door closed behind her. Bakura staggered over to the large bed and collapsed onto it. She walked over to the side of the bed and looked at his wounds.

Where he had been stabbed was definitely the worst. The cloth he had pressed to it was already blood-soaked as were his hands, his stomach and his kilt. There was a shallow cut on his stomach that had been bleeding, but seemed to have ceased. The gash on his upper left arm was deep, and blood caked his arm. That wound needed to be treated quickly as well.

Kahlaya panicked. She couldn't do anything. There was no way for her to help him. She whined softly. His eyes had been closed, but he opened them at the sound. He looked at her with drowsy eyes.

"_I don't know… what to do. I can't help you as a wolf."_

He nodded. "Get Dakarai." His eyes closed again.

She nodded and turned to go out the door. She couldn't open the door. Instead, Kahlaya turned to the open window and leapt through it. Running as quickly as she could around the temple, she spotted Dakarai and sprinted to him. He had been dragging a body, but stopped and looked up at her approach.

"_I need you to help Bakura. I can't," _she told him desperately.

Dakarai nodded and set the body down. They both ran hurriedly back into the temple.

"_I need you to get a bowl of water and a lot of fresh fabric."_

"I know. I'll get it and meet you in Bakura's room." Dakarai veered away from her and went down the right hallway.

Kahlaya ran down the left corridor and to Bakura's door. It was slightly opened. She sighed. He had gotten up and made sure the door was open so she could get in. Pushing open the door, Kahlaya walked inside and found Bakura lying on the bed, his eyes closed, just as she had left him.

"_Dakarai is coming."_

"Good," he muttered.

Padding over to his bed, she sat down next to it. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed and listened to the constant rhythm of his beating heart. His hair fell across his forehead and some strands went into his face. It was plastered to his neck and the sides of his face by his sweat. His face was set in a grimace against the pain.

She looked into his face as she said: "_Thank you."_

His eyes snapped open and he looked at her. She met his gaze for a second and then looked down. "_You, uh... well… you saved my life. More than once."_

He laughed slightly. "I didn't save your life the first time. I spared it."

She still didn't meet his eyes. "_You saved me in more ways than you know."_

She slightly glanced up to see him looking at her with a curious, surprised and confused expression. He was about to say something when Dakarai opened the door holding a tray with everything she had asked him to get, along with a few extra things. He came into the room and set it on the table. Kahlaya and Bakura both looked at him.

Dakarai turned and saw them watching him. He blushed slightly and dipped a cloth into the water. Walking over to the bed, he stood beside Bakura and gently pulled off the blood-soaked rag. He dropped it onto the floor and began cleaning out his stab wound. Bakura flinched and his hand grasped a handful of the fur on the back of Kahlaya's neck. His grip tightened each time Dakarai needed to wipe the cut. When Dakarai swiped the wound particularly forcefully, Bakura spat out a mouthful of curses and foul names at him. Dakarai jumped, muttering apologies and took extra care to be gentle.

After all the blood had been cleaned from Bakura's skin, Darkarai wrapped his arm in fabric. He then applied a paste to his stab wound and wrapped his stomach with clean cloth. None of them spoke the entire time Dakarai worked.

Once he was finished, Dakarai took the tray and left the room without a word. Kahlaya watched him go. He left the door slightly open, so she could leave. Her eyes travelled back to Bakura.

"_He's skilled with medicine, isn't he?" _Kahlaya asked.

Bakura nodded. "He's useful."

He looked better now, or, at least, his wounds did. He looked exhausted and was covered in sweat. She noticed that he was still in his bloody kilt.

"_Maybe you should put on clean clothes," _she suggested, more than a little embarrassed.

He looked at her, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. He gestured to a trunk on the opposite side of the room. "There are clean clothes in there."

She got up and went to the trunk. Pushing it open with her nose, she just grabbed the first piece of clothing in there and pulled it out. Padding back over to Bakura, she set it on the bed.

_ "I'll just… give you some privacy." _Kahlaya turned and walked out of the room. She couldn't close the door, so it stayed ajar just enough for her body to fit through.

She walked to her room and, since the door was still open, went inside. The body had been removed and the blood had been cleaned off the floor. Inside the room there was nothing of any interest. Sighing, she turned around and slowly padded down the hallway. What she really wanted was to clean off the blood on her, but there was no way for her to do that unless she could just jump into a pool of water.

Stepping out the temple and into the overcast afternoon, Kahlaya was surprised to see that every body had been moved. The only evidence that there was ever a fight was the few splotches of blood here and there across the sand. Tarik and Dakarai were nowhere to be found, but Kosey was making his way back toward the temple. His wounds were clean and his hair was wet.

Wondering where he had went, she asked: "_Is there somewhere I can wash off?"_

Kosey didn't seem surprised by her voice in his head. Kahlaya assumed that Bakura had told everyone about her means of communicating.

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "There's an oasis over that dune, Wolf." He said before continuing to walk past her.

Glad to know that there was fresh water nearby, Kahlaya bounded up the dune. At the top, she looked down at a beautiful oasis.

It had two fresh water springs. One, Kahlaya supposed, was for drinking while the other was for washing. The springs were surrounded by greenery. There were tall palm trees along with lotus flowers and Egyptian roses.

She followed Kosey's scent to one of the pools. Assuming that that was the spring for washing, Kahlaya ran and propelled herself into the water.

Her body was engulfed by the cool water. The blood washed from her fur as she paddled her paws and her head broke the surface. The pool was deeper than she had thought it would be. No matter how far she stretched her hind legs, she couldn't reach the bottom.

When she was satisfied that all the blood was out of her fur, Kahlaya swam to the edge and heaved herself out of the water. She shook out her pelt a few times, making her fur stick out in every direction.

Deciding that she probably shouldn't drink straight from the spring, Kahlaya headed back toward the temple, hoping that water would have been left in her room.

There was a trail of sand that had fallen from Kahlaya's damp paws as she had walked through the temple. It led to her room and was scattered all over the floor around her as she lapped up water that had been provided.

She was exhausted, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep without seeing him first. Leaving the room, she turned to Bakura's door. Kahlaya smiled when she saw that it was still open, the way she had left it. She pushed her head into the room and peeked inside. Bakura was still lying on his back on the bed. He had changed his kilt to the clean one and he looked like he had washed off. Kahlaya spotted a wash bowl on the table as well as a few cloths. He looked like he was sleeping, but Kahlaya couldn't help herself. She walked silently into the room and sat next to the bed, beside his head.

Watching him sleep and listening to the beating of his heart, Kahlaya felt her eyelids droop. It wasn't late, but the fight had worn her out and she had been awake late the night before. Her head rested on the edge of the bed and Bakura's heartbeat lulled her to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I noticed that a lot of Thief Bakura fanfics have him getting hurt and the main character helping him... haha, oh well, it's a good way to get them closer. :)<strong>

**I also noticed that most of my chapters end with Kahlaya going to sleep. I guess I like to take it by day. **

**And, yes, Tarik is going to be trouble. Big time.**

**I'm updating more often! But I probably won't put up chapter 7 for at least a week... maybe more. It might be sooner though. ;) We'll see...**

**You know what to do! REVIEW!**

**-AuraWolf**


	7. Chapter 7

**I updated a lot sooner than I thought I would. I guess I don't like to keep people waiting. :P Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! :)**

**Viki boom: **Thanks so much for the kind words! You really think it's that good? This story actually wasn't intended to be a fanfic. It was going to just be a book I was writing, but then I started watching more Yu-Gi-Oh! and decided I needed a story with Bakura. ;)

**Dakota Ishtar: **Chapter 6 is one of my favourite chapters! And it'll (hopefully) just keep getting better and better!

**BakuraLOLZ99: **Here you go! I updated! My updating is progressing faster than it should be and soon I'll have to write the whole chapter before I can just update! (I've written this story up to Chapter 16, so I've just been posting the first chapters seeing as how they're finished. :P )

Chapter 7

Bakura woke to pain. Pain in his arm. Pain in his side. It wasn't as bad as it had been, but he still grimaced each time he moved. He shifted his right arm and it hit something cool and damp. Looking over, he saw that Kahlaya had her head rested on his bed and was leaning up against the bed post, sleeping. Her breath blew on his arm.

Twisting his head to look out the window, Bakura saw that it was well into the night. His eyes flicked to the table where a tray of food and water was. At the sight of the food, he realized how hungry he was and his stomach growled. He glanced at Kahlaya. She didn't move. He debated waiting for her to wake up before moving or just getting up and eating.

He started to push himself up, when Kahlaya sighed deeply and her head shifted position. Looking down at her, he saw how peaceful she looked. Sighing, he laid back down, sinking his head into his pillow.

Bakura stared at the ceiling while he laid there. Every once in a while, he'd glance down at Kahlaya's sleeping wolf face. She still had her beauty, even as a wolf. Frowning, he looked back at the ceiling.

'_Why do I keep thinking about her?' _he thought angrily. '_Why do I _care_ about her? I could have just let that thug kill her… but I didn't. She could have let him kill me and she didn't. Does that… mean something? No. She could be useful to me, that's why I saved her. Nothing else. But why did she save me? With me gone, she would have solved a lot of people's problems and then she could have just gone back to the palace and lived her life as a spoiled palace princess.'_

Her words from earlier passed through his head: "You saved me in more ways than you know."

'_What the hell is that supposed to mean?'_

Kahlaya's head moved and he looked down at her. Her eyes were open and she was staring at him.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked.

She moved her head from the bed and yawned, revealing her sharp rows of teeth. "_Not long. I've just been watching you think."_

_ "_Why are you in here?"

She took a moment to answer and her eyes lowered. "_Because I wanted to… make sure… you were okay."_

"Well, I'm fine," Bakura said, sitting up. He groaned and flinched as he did.

Kahlaya watched him struggle to get up. When he finally managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed, he was breathing hard and his face gave away his pain. He staggered to his feet and walked to the table. Sitting in the chair, he began drinking the water and eating the fresh fruit.

While chewing a mouthful of papaya, Bakura realized that Kahlaya was watching him. He swallowed the fruit and looked at her.

"Can I help you with something?"

She stood and stretched. "_I guess not." _She didn't want to admit that she just liked being around him.

Shaking her fur, she walked to the door. Bakura watched her tail as it swished through the doorway. He turned his head back to the tray of food. He felt the absence of her presence like a terrible ache. Sucking in a breath, he got to his feet, leaving the rest of the food. Taking his robe from the end of the bed, he stiffly pulled his arms through the sleeves.

Using the wall as support, Bakura walked into the hall and turned left. He made his way to Sanura's room, needing something to keep his mind off of Kahlaya. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key. Sliding it into the lock, he turned it and swung the door open.

Sanura was lying in her bed, the blanket over her. She was on her side, facing the wall. She looked to be asleep, but Bakura knew that she wasn't. Walking into the room and closing the door behind him, Bakura made his way to Sanura's side. He stood beside the bed with one hand on the wall to hold himself up. Sanura didn't move.

"Alright," he muttered, "you saw Kahlaya. Now will you cooperate?"

There was a short pause. "I have been cooperating." Her voice was flat, dead.

"No, you haven't," his voice was getting angry. "I want to know why you've been getting close to Kahlaya for the past seven years."

She laughed quietly, shaking the bed. "You know what she is. Now you're trying to get close to her too. Get close to the pharaoh's Divine Guardian and you can get close to the pharaoh."

Bakura scowled. "That's not what I'm doing."

"Isn't it?"

"How did you end up in that city? With that family?"

She shrugged her shoulders; a little awkwardly because of her position. "How should I know? I was three." She laughed again. "Pretty lucky though, wasn't I? Ending up in the same place as the Divine Guardian. Just down the street from her even!"

Bakura felt anger rise inside of him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was time to change the subject. "Can you summon them yet?"

In a small voice, she replied: "No."

'_Good,' _he thought, '_I still have time.'_

"But," she continued and Bakura opened his eyes, "I can go there in my dreams. I walk with the ghosts and they speak to me. They want me to release them. They tell me that they will do anything I wish. Follow my every command." She giggled. "I'm going to have my own army of souls!"

He pushed off the wall and left her laughing maniacally on the bed. Locking the door behind him, Bakura went back to his room.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya lay on her bed with her head resting on her paws. She had a strange tingling feeling in her stomach. It wasn't quite an ache, but like she was being tickled from the inside. She tried to ignore it, but it continuously got more pronounced.<p>

Getting up, Kahlaya jumped off the bed and paced around the room, hoping walking would help. It didn't. She drank some water. The feeling was still there. A little worried, she continued pacing. The tingling appeared in her toes. It slowly made its way up her legs. Soon, her whole body was tingling. Her legs then began trembling. Now she knew what was happening.

Her body started spasming and her back arched. She fell onto the floor as her fur fell away and her bones reformed. The transformation was almost instant and there wasn't any pain. She was soon a human.

Rising off the floor, she grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself. Closing the door all the way, as it had been open a crack so she could leave, Kahlaya went to the trunk and opened it. She pulled the dress out and quickly put it on then sat on the edge of her bed.

She was glad to be human. There was no doubt about that, but she wanted to know why. It had only been one day and the full moon was still around. She didn't understand how or why she could have changed.

'_Something must have triggered it,' _she thought. '_Or maybe I'm just getting control over it.'_

She sat on the bed for a while before lying onto her side. Closing her eyes, Kahlaya fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya woke up a few hours later when the sun was just sending its rays to crawl over the horizon. She sat up slowly in bed, forgetting for a second that she was human. Even though she should be a wolf. Stretching her arms, she stood up and straightened out her sleep-crumpled dress. It was early and there wasn't a tray with food and water, only her water bowl. She smirked down at it before leaving the room.<p>

The hallways were lit with torches placed every meter along each wall. Kahlaya stopped in front of Bakura's door, but quickly continued walking. He probably wasn't awake and the chances of him wanting to see her were slim. She continued down the corridor and passed Sanura's room. She remembered how terrible Sanura had looked when she had seen her and how unusually she had acted.

A quick thought entered Kahlaya's mind. '_What if Bakura wouldn't let me see her because he knew that I'd be affected when I saw how different she was?' _Then she reconsidered. "Yeah, like he would care about me," she muttered then entered the main room.

Walking to the middle, she looked around, admiring the beauty of the old temple. There were four tall windows on each wall and torches were placed between them. Across from the exit, on the far wall, was a large statue of Wepwawet, the god of war. There was a wolf, which was his animal symbol, lying at his feet. Its tongue lolled out and it held its head high. Kahlaya hadn't really observed the room the previous times she had been in it and usually just skimmed her eyes over the statue. Now she saw how beautifully carved it was and how unharmed. The eyes of the wolf seemed to stare down at her as she looked up at the wonderful creation. She found it odd that she was a wolf and happened to be in a temple for the god with the wolf symbol.

Turning away from the statue, she walked out into the morning sunlight. Stretching her arms and legs, Kahlaya let the sun soak into her skin. She yawned and then looked in the direction of the oasis. She could easily smell the plants and water. Just wanting somewhere to go, she began heading toward the dune.

Her bare feet dug into the sand as she climbed up the hill. Kahlaya loved the feel of the warming sand as it slid between her toes. She reached the top and then half slid, half jogged down the other side. Walking under the shade of a palm tree, she sat down under it, her back up against the trunk and facing in the opposite direction of the hideout. Closing her eyes, Kahlaya just let the slight breeze blow her hair across her face. She crossed her legs in front of her and her hand began twirling her marble wolf necklace. Marble. Bakura. She opened her eyes and sighed.

"Why can't I just stop thinking about him? At least for a few hours. Maybe a day," she mumbled to herself. She doubted that that would happen.

Kahlaya leaned her head against the tree and looked up. The sky was bright blue without a cloud to be seen. The palm tree leaves rustled in the breeze. She didn't know how long she sat there, just staring into the sky, lost in her thoughts, but the sun gradually soared higher into the sky.

Her thoughts ranged from Sanura, to Okpara, to the pharaoh to wolves and thieves. She tried summoning the wolf within her, but to no avail. She couldn't even feel it inside her. It was like there wasn't even a full moon anymore. She still had her wolf senses. They were as strong as ever, but the animal had buried itself away. She wished she could explain it. Wished she could say to herself that she had mastered the beast, but she couldn't do either. Kahlaya didn't have the slightest idea as to why she changed early.

One of her hands came upon an Egyptian rose and she plucked it out of the ground. Holding it up to her nose, she inhaled the beautiful scent. Egyptian roses were her favourite flowers.

As she was smelling the flower, she heard footsteps behind her and a shadow fell across the ground. Turned around slightly, she saw that it was Bakura.

She turned back around and held the flower in her lap. She could feel his eyes on her.

"So, it looks like you changed back," he said. His voice had no traces of pain in it. Kahlaya took that as a sign that he felt better. That, and the fact that he had walked all the way over the dune.

"It does, does it?" she asked, looking down at her human body acting surprised. "I thought I was still a wolf."

He ignored her and leaned against the tree she was sitting under. "When I saw you were gone, I thought you had run back to your city. Looks like I was wrong."

"Looks like it," she agreed.

There was a pause. Only the sound of the wind and the gentle lapping of the water filled the air.

Finally, Bakura asked. "Why did you stay?"

Kahlaya looked at her hands, feeling uncomfortable. "I... don't know. I just did. If I had tried to leave, you and your groupees probably would have caught me anyway." She shrugged.

There was another pause. "How did you change? The moon is still full."

"I don't know that either. I changed last night. After I left your room. Now I can't even feel the wolf inside me." She decided to switch topics. "How are your injuries?"

Even though she couldn't see him, Kahlaya knew that Bakura was surprised by the question. Surprised that someone cared. "They're fine."

She stood up and looked at him. He did look better. There were new bandages over his wounds and he looked just plain healthy. She had a feeling that the injuries still hurt, he was just good at covering it up.

Gently, she touched his left arm. He grimaced and pulled away from her with a sharp "What the hell?"

Kahlaya looked up at him for a couple of heartbeats. His hostile eyes stared back at her. She raised her hand again, reaching for his cut arm. This time, he let her place her hand over the wound.

She focused all of her energy into her hand, willing it to travel through her. What she wanted to happen was the same thing that had happened down in the prison when Tarik had fought her. She wanted her mark to let her heal. Her own injuries hadn't healed like they had the first time, but Kahlaya couldn't even feel them. She knew that she had a gash across her shoulders, a nick in her ear and a cut in her mouth. She didn't feel like she had any of them.

It took quite a while. The both of them just stood there, waiting. Kahlaya concentrated and focused with all of her strength and energy. When she was about to give up, her mark started to glow. Some of the tension from Bakura's face left and he seemed to relax slightly. She took her hand from his arm and carefully unwound the bandage. His cut was only a scar now.

Kahlaya looked up at him, smiling. He just gave her an unfazed glance. He was a good actor, she'd give him that. She moved her hand to his muscled abdomen, between his stab wound and the gash. It was easier to summon her energy this time, but she needed to remain with her hand there longer since she was healing two wounds and one was significantly worse.

Kahlaya tried not to smile as she held her hand to Bakura's stomach, but wanted to keep a straight face. She could feel the curve of his muscles under her hand, through the bandages. Her lips tightened and her eyebrows pulled together. She tried to focus on healing the wounds and not on how impressive Bakura's muscles were.

After what seemed like hours, but were only minutes, Kahlaya pulled her hand from the bandages. He took them off this time and revealed two almost invisible scars. Kahlaya's mark stopped glowing. She felt exhausted from using so much of her energy and placed a hand against the tree trunk, leaning into it. She was still holding the bloody bandage from his arm, so she handed it out to him. He took it from her and rolled it up with the other fabric.

"I hope you appreciated that," she said. "I can hardly stand. Healing wounds is no easy feat."

He just grunted.

Kahlaya smirked. "You could show a little gratitude, you know?" She smiled and winked at him. "Don't worry, I wouldn't tell anyone."

Bakura scowled and folded his arms, looking away from her. A question came into her head, one that she had meant to ask yesterday.

"Who were those people, who attacked us? And what did they want?"

Bakura moved his gaze back to her. He found it weird that she had said 'us' and not 'you'. She said it like she was a thief herself. He decided that he might as well answer her questions. There was no point in keeping it from her.

"They're called the Dark Destroyers. They are a group of thieves and murderers who think they run the land," Bakura said, his voice full of venom. "They wanted Sanura. Their leader, Odji, has a reputation for taking anyone with significant power or abilities to serve him." He smirked. "He's probably furious that I have a Shadow Walker." He gave Kahlaya an avid look. "He doesn't know that you're here. He would have sent more men had he."

Kahlaya was instantly fearful and annoyed of this Odji character. "How many men work for him?"

"More than I could count. Every day he recruits new members to his little group. There are also the more powerful ones. They can be quite problematic."

"Will they... be back?"

Bakura didn't miss the fear in her voice. He almost laughed. "I wouldn't doubt it. When none of his assassins return, Odji will send more. Maybe they'll be smart enough to make a plan and not just run at us in the middle of the day."

Kahlaya sighed and pushed herself off of the tree. "Well, what are we going to do if they do attack? There are only five of us."

There she went again. Talking like this was all her problem too. Like she had been doing this her whole life.

Bakura closed his eyes and shrugged. "By that time, I'll have the power of the Shadow Walker on my side. It would have taken Odji's men a few days to have gotten here. So we have quite a while."

Kahlaya shuddered and her eyes fell to the ground. Her hand found her wolf necklace. Sanura. She had no doubt in her mind that Sanura was a Shadow Walker. From her appearance to the way she acted, there was no mistaking it.

Without thinking, she said, "You don't know what it's like... for someone you've known for so long and who has come to be like family to suddenly appear to you in a whole new way. Even though she's something that people always see as evil, I don't know if I'll ever be able to see her that way. She was always so sweet and innocent. How could I not have known?"

Bakura didn't say anything. When Kahlaya finally lifted her eyes, she saw that he was staring at her. Embarrassed by her outburst of thoughts, she looked away from him. The silence between them stretched on until it became almost awkward.

She laughed humourlessly. "I'm sorry. I doubt you wanted to hear any of that. I don't even know why I said it."

She did know why she said it. She needed to say those words. Right now, there was only one person she could say them to and that was something that Kahlaya didn't understand. She felt like she could say things to Bakura that she couldn't tell anyone else. He wouldn't tell anyone else about them because who would he tell? She could feel a strange fiery emotion in her stomach when he was around her. She couldn't explain it and she had never felt that way before. Just thinking about him made her feel... warm.

Bakura cleared his throat. "It's... fine."

Kahlaya smiled meekly then her eyebrows pulled together. "Was she always like that?"

A startled look came to Bakura's face. "What do you mean?" he asked defensively.

She ignored his sudden change in emotion. "While she was in the city for seven years. Was she the sweet and innocent girl I thought she was or was the Shadow Walker just pretending to be my friend?"

He relaxed slightly. Why was she asking him? It was strange. The way she asked him about her personal worries. Her sudden spilling of thought earlier had taken him by surprise as well.

Bakura didn't really know what to tell her. He knew that Sanura had been a Shadow Walker for those seven years and only wanted to get close to the Divine Guardian. She had never really been Kahlaya's friend. But he didn't want to tell her that. For some reason, Bakura didn't want to hurt her that way. So he lied.

"No. She wasn't fully a Shadow Walker then," he said. "Her powers surfaced when I used an old incantation performed on Shadow Walkers in order to unlock their abilities."

She smiled, but only for a second. Anger flared inside her. "You made her like that?"

He shrugged. "It would have happened sooner or later. Without my help."

"But if you hadn't used that spell, she would still be Sanura. Not some dark Shadow Walker." Kahlaya's voice was shaky from her rage.

Bakura's cold eyes met her fiery ones. Without a word, Kahlaya turned away from him and began walking back up the sand dune, toward the temple. He stood and watched her go until she disappeared from sight.

* * *

><p><strong>It didn't end with her sleeping! Haha! <strong>

**Sanura is interestingly fun to write. She's so creepy!**

**Sorry if it's confusing that I jump between what Kahlaya is thinking and what Bakura is thinking. That's just how I write, I suppose.**

**I think I'll start ending with really intriguing cliff-hangers... or, at least, from chapter 16 I will since I don't want to change the endings to my other chapters. :P**

**Review!**

**-AuraWolf **


	8. Chapter 8

**I must warn you, this chapter is quite cheesy, but it is necessary. I find it sweet though. ;)**

**Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed! **Viki boom, BakuraLOLZ99, Dakota Ishtar** and **Random Pie**!**

**To answer **Dakota Ishtar**'s question: No, he hasn't been 'stalking' Sanura, but he has known that she is a Shadow Walker for a while... that'll all be cleared up in a few chapters. :)**

Chapter 8

Kahlaya lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was after sunset, hours after she had talked to Bakura. She wished that she could have just gotten on Shakir and left, but she couldn't leave Sanura and Tarik had been hanging around the stables. There probably wasn't any hope of returning Sanura to the way she had been before she was taken. Bakura had said that she would have become a full Shadow Walker sometime in the future, so there was no point to linger on the idea of trying to save her. Kahlaya had to face the fact that she had lost her only friend. Now she was completely alone.

She rolled over onto her side, facing the wall. She didn't really feel sad and she wasn't angry anymore. She was just... empty. What she really needed was someone to talk to. Someone to tell her she wasn't alone. But she didn't have that anymore. Okpara was gone and Sanura was lost. Right now, all Kahlaya wanted was a real family. The family she never had.

A tear slid down her face. She didn't get mad at herself for crying. She just laid there and let them slide down her face, dripping onto her bed sheets. She cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>She was standing alone in an open field. Rain poured from the sky. Flashes of lightning appeared to the rhythm of the drums of thunder. It was night and Kahlaya could only see her surroundings when the lightning danced.<p>

The tall blades of grass were propelled by the rain and swayed with the frenzied wind. There were trees surrounding the huge plain, but only appeared as jagged spikes in the darkness.

Kahlaya was wearing a black dress that fell to her ankles. The seam on one side was cut up to her thigh. The dress held on to her shoulders, the neckline a stretched 'U' shape. Two strips of black fabric fell from her shoulders and down her back, flapping in the wind. There was a red, fabric belt around her waist. She was soaking wet. Her hair blew in the breeze and whipped across her face and neck, where her wolf necklace still hung.

Out of the darkness, snarls and howls sounded over the thunder and the roar of the wind. Kahlaya looked around her and saw blood-red eyes appearing within the grass. Forms were being made from the shadows. Massive, dripping wolves crawled toward her. They were all black and had blood dripping from their mouths. Kahlaya tried to summon her aura, but it wouldn't appear. She couldn't defend herself against the beasts.

A dark laugh sounded from behind her. Kahlaya whipped around and saw a man standing there. He was dressed in a black tunic and black pants. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he had dark brown eyes. He looked to be in his early twenties.

"There's no one to save you, Kahlaya." His voice was a low drawl. "No one at all."

Kahlaya turned back to the oncoming wolves. They were slowly drawing closer.

"Not even yourself."

The wolf closest to her growled and pounced. Kahlaya tried to jump out of the way, but another wolf hit her from the side. She was knocked to the soggy ground while more wolves launched themselves on top of her. Blood dripped onto her face as she stared into the red eyes of the shadow wolves. The wolf she was looking at snarled and lunged forward. Kahlaya squeezed her eyes shut and vanished into the shadows to the sound of the man laughing and a crack of lightning.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya rolled over in bed and opened her eyes. She was in her room, covered in sweat and shaking from her nightmare. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes. They were wet with fresh tears. Sighing, Kahlaya wiped the tears away. Her hands stilled when she heard the sound of steady breathing.<p>

Taking her hands from her eyes, she looked in the direction of the breathing and was surprised to see Bakura sitting in the chair beside the table. He was watching her with worry in his violet eyes. He immediately removed all emotion from his face and replaced it with his cold mask when she turned to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice raspy from crying.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You were moaning in your sleep."

She raised one eyebrow. "So you just came in to sit there and let me? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because as soon as I came in, you stopped. So I thought I'd let you sleep."

Kahlaya blushed and looked down. "Oh. Well... thanks."

"Not a problem." Bakura stood to leave.

She lifted her eyes to him. "You could stay." When he looked at her questioningly she said: "Uh, if you want. I don't know if I can go back to sleep and well... I just... need someone to talk to."

He stared at her for a few moments before sitting back down in the chair.

They sat in silence for a while before Kahlaya spoke.

"Will Sanura ever be the same again?"

Bakura sighed impatiently. He was getting tired of talking about Sanura. "No. She's a Shadow Walker. She was born that way and she'll be one until she dies."

Kahlaya didn't miss the annoyance in his voice, but she pressed on. "But you used an incantation to make her like that. Is there a spell that can return her to the way she was?"

"No," he said dismissively.

She sighed and lay back down on her pillow, gazing at the ceiling. "I didn't think so."

Bakura asked a question that he hadn't really meant to ask, but it had been nagging at the back of his mind. "Why were you moaning?"

She looked at him with an odd expression. She hadn't expected him to ask something like that. Something that suggested he cared about her.

Looking back at the ceiling, she said: "I was having a nightmare. But it's nothing. No big deal."

Bakura didn't believe that it was nothing. He could tell that it had upsetted her, but he didn't ask her about it.

Neither of them spoke for minutes. Bakura was about to say something when he noticed Kahlaya's rhythmic breathing. Despite her claims of not being able to fall asleep, she had.

With a sigh, Bakura rose to his feet and pulled Kahlaya's blanket up to her chin. Her hand latched onto his wrist as he was passing her arm. Frowning, he tried to pull out of her grip. Her hand tightened and she turned onto her side, facing him. She was in the middle of the bed, so he sat down on the very edge while she hung onto his wrist.

It was the middle of the night and Bakura was growing tired. Kahlaya still refused to let go of his wrist. When he was practically falling over from drowsiness, Kahlaya tugged on his arm. He looked down at her. She still had her eyes shut and hadn't moved.

"Would you just lie down already?" she murmured.

She pulled his arm again and he slowly lowered himself onto the bed, bringing his legs up with him. Kahlaya moved closer to the wall to give him more room. She didn't let go of his wrist as he lay on top of the covers. Using her other hand, she pulled the blanket farther onto herself and nuzzled deeper into the pillow.

Bakura watched her for a while before his eyelids drooped and he fell into a dream-filled sleep.

* * *

><p>The smell of roses and musky wolf was the first thing Bakura noticed when he opened his eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. He guessed it to be about mid-morning. Looking down, he saw that Kahlaya had shifted positions in the night. She had let go of his wrist and now had both of her arms folded against her chest. Her head was nuzzled against his arm. Some of her hair fell onto his arm, tickling it and the blanket was twisted around her legs. She was still asleep.<p>

Bakura remained still and watched her sleep. Her face was relaxed and free of all its usual stress and emotion. She looked delicate and small. Not her natural fierceness and wolf-like demeanor. He couldn't really place his feelings for her, but he knew that they were stronger than any he'd had before. Bakura had felt glad the night before when she had asked him to stay and talk with her. He liked the way she spoke to him. She was honest and told him personal things. He wasn't sure why she did, but he felt like he could do the same with her, though he hadn't. He wasn't used to dealing with feelings. He had never felt the way he did when he was with her before. Just seeing her spread warmth through him. He tried to hide it, but it was getting more difficult when she did things like confide in him and then practically pull him to lie next to her.

'_It's nothing,' _he told himself. '_How could it be anything? But it's strange, this feeling I get when I'm around her. Like there's nothing to worry about. Like there aren't people out there wanting to kill me. It's like there's just her and me.'_ He scowled at those thoughts. '_Dammit! I'm getting soft. Sorting out my feelings. What the hell am I doing? All she is is powerful and I only want to be around her so I can gain her trust. Get her onto my side. Gain her power. There's nothing else.'_

Kahlaya sighed and opened her eyes. Bakura hadn't realized that he had been thinking while staring at the ceiling, so he moved his eyes down to look at her. She was smiling and had her amethyst eyes on his face.

"Thinking again?" she asked.

He nodded and looked back at the ceiling.

She propped herself onto one elbow, moving a little bit away from him. "What about?"

"It's none of your concern," he muttered.

She leaned closer to him. "Are you sure?"

He scowled and sat up.

"If you haven't already figured it out," she said, "I'm not mad at you anymore."

He half laughed. "Why not?"

She sat up beside him. "Because I know Sanura would have ended up a full Shadow Walker sometime. So I guess it doesn't matter."

Bakura looked at her and pulled his eyebrows together. He sighed. "I lied about Sanura."

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"There isn't an incantation that can make a Shadow Walker become a full Shadow Walker. She was always one. Even for the seven years you knew her. All she wanted was to get close to you, the Divine Guardian, so that she could get close to the pharaoh. She was never your friend."

She just sat there and stared at him. After a while she spoke.

"You... lied to me? Why?"

He wasn't going to tell her the real reason. He shrugged. "I don't know. Why does it matter if I lied or not?"

Kahlaya's eyes filled with anger. "I guess it doesn't!" She shoved his shoulder, nearly pushing him off the bed. He swung his legs over the edge and stood up. "So much for me not being mad at you! Get out!" She pointed to the door.

Bakura glared at her angrily. "You can't tell me what to do."

She jumped off the bed and pushed his shoulders, hard. He stumbled back, surprised by her strength. He didn't retaliate, but stepped forward closing the distance between them so that they were almost touching. Kahlaya looked up at him from under her eyebrows before turning away and sitting on the edge of her bed. Putting one elbow on her knee, she leaned her forehead against her fist.

"Please, just leave," she whispered.

Bakura stared at her for a few seconds, the anger ebbing away. Silently, he walked to the door and left the room, softly closing the door behind him.

Kahlaya fell onto her side on the bed. She sucked in a deep breath, smelling waterfalls and marble. She pressed her face into the pillow and pulled the blanket over herself, Bakura's scent on that too. She wasn't really mad at him. She was more angry at Sanura. They had never been friends. Everything Kahlaya had told Sanura had been nothing. All Sanura had been doing was playing the role of her friend. So that meant that everything Sanura had shared with Kahlaya had been a lie. None of it was real. Kahlaya felt terrible for believing her lies. For falling for her façade.

Why had Bakura lied to her anyway? The only reason Kahlaya could think of was to spare her all this pain she felt. But why would he do that? He didn't seem like he cared. Maybe he did. She supposed that he was someone who never liked to admit his feelings. He didn't strike her as that kind of person. There were so many things he did that gave her the impression that he cared for her. She knew that she cared for him. More than she did for anyone else in her life.

She hadn't realized that she had been lying there, thinking, for at least an hour.

Rising from the bed, Kahlaya straightened her dress and combed through her hair with her fingers. She took a drink from the mug of water on her table then used some of it to wash her face and left the room.

She didn't go far, just next door. Tentatively, she raised a hand and knocked softly on the door. She didn't stand there long before the door opened. Bakura stood in the doorway, looking like he had cleaned off. He had a new kilt on and was wearing his usual red and gold robe. His hair didn't look tousled and bed headed anymore. He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms.

"Yes?" he asked.

Kahlaya looked into his eyes. They weren't angry anymore and they weren't as cold as they usually were. Breathing out to relax herself she said: "I'm sorry."

His eyebrows pulled together. "You don't need to apologize."

"But I want to. I wasn't mad at you. And I shouldn't have yelled at you and pushed you away. I was angry at myself and mad at... Sanura. I wish I hadn't fallen for her lies." She laughed without humour. "It would have saved me a lot of pain."

He repositioned his shoulder on the doorframe. "I should... apologize to you," he said and Kahlaya gave him a startled expression. "I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm... sorry." He said the last word so low that Kahlaya probably wouldn't have heard it if she didn't have wolf ears.

Smiling, she took a step closer. "I forgive you, oh great Thief King." She hadn't said it in a mocking tone, more of a playful teasing.

Bakura smiled back at her and pushed himself away from the wall.

Blinking a few times, Kahlaya said. "There's something I need to tell you."

She saw his confused expression before her eyes fell to the floor. Her heart began racing and she was afraid he could hear it. Taking a huge breath, she readied herself for her confession.

"Well, I've been having these... feelings." She felt his eyes on her as she spoke, making her slightly uncomfortable. "And I've been having them since I first saw you." She looked up at him. He was just gazing at her with adept attention. "I know I care for you. More than I've ever cared for anyone in my life. I just feel... connected to you in some way. I can feel your absence like someone has torn a piece of myself away and I just feel warm when you're around me. It's like... I'm not complete without you. I don't know if you feel the same way or-"

She was cut off by Bakura removing the distance between them and taking her in his arms. His lips found hers and his arms wrapped around her waist. Kahlaya was shocked by his move, but was relieved nonetheless. Smiling around the kiss, she brought her arms up and around his neck. Their lips intertwined and moved perfectly with each other. It only lasted a few seconds and Kahlaya wished it had been longer. They both pulled away at the same time, but kept their arms wrapped around each other. Kahlaya smiled up at him.

"I'll take that as a yes to you feeling the same way I do."

He looked down at her. "Or maybe I was just trying to get you to shut up."

She laughed. "Well, you did a pretty good job."

He smiled. It was a genuine smile. One of the few she had ever seen on Bakura's face. She studied it and found that she liked it. A lot.

"I like your smile," she said and he immediately frowned. "Come on! What was that?"

"This is ridiculous," he said, taking his arms away from her waist.

She brought her arms down from his neck and put her hands on her hips, frowning at him.

"I don't know what I'm doing," he muttered.

"You're listening to your heart." When he scowled at her she said: "I know it sounds stupid, but it's true. That, right there, what just happened a few moments ago, that was real. You can deny it all you want. I know you feel the same way I do." Then she spoke in a quieter voice. "You don't need to hide it."

"Everyone will think I've gone soft."

Kahlaya laughed at that. "No, they won't! I'll bet most of the guys will be jealous of you. I don't see too many girls swooning over Tarik or Kosey! And I mean, I can hold my own in a fight. Plus, with some more practice, I will be a skilled Aura Emanator."

"It's not because of you. It's because they will see that I have... feelings." He almost choked on the word.

Her shoulders drooped and she hung her head. "You are way too... defensive. You don't want to be alone your whole life, do you? Everyone has feelings." She looked up at him. "Even if they don't show it."

He scowled again and she stepped closer to him. Kahlaya stretched onto her toes until their faces were only inches apart.

"And who cares what other people think?" She asked, pulling away slightly. "Doesn't your happiness matter too?"

When he nodded thoughtfully, Kahlaya continued. "Plus, if anyone does accuse you of anything, just show them why you're called the King of Thieves."

He smiled slightly and his eyes met hers. "You're right," he said, wrapping his arms around her again. "As much as I hate to say those words."

"I'm not too fond of them either," she agreed, putting her arms around his waist. "But I like hearing them from someone else."

"I'm sure you do," he sighed, looking down at her. "I have work to do today."

Kahlaya raised her eyebrows. "Like what?"

"I have to get Sanura to use her powers for me. We need to be ready when Odji sends his assassins."

She scowled and dropped her arms. He did the same.

"I suppose I should practice with my aura," she said. "Be able to use it whenever I want."

Bakura nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess I'll see you later then," Kahlaya murmured, walking toward her door.

"You could come. To talk to Sanura."

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. "No. I don't think I should see Sanura. Not yet."

He nodded and turned away, walking down the hallway toward Sanura's room. Kahlaya watched him go until he turned the corner. She went back to her room and closed the door. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she started smiling uncontrollably. She had admitted her feelings and Bakura had shared them. Finally, something was going right in her life. But for just how long would that last?

* * *

><p>After hours of concentrated aura practice, Kahlaya could create small spheres and throw them. She could also push her aura away from her, but it took much of her energy and she couldn't do it for long.<p>

Kahlaya drank the last mouthful of water and emptied the bowl of cut papaya. She flopped onto her bed, lying on her back. Her chest heaved air and she was exhausted from her non-stop practice session. Sitting up, she saw that it was well into the afternoon.

Kahlaya wondered if Bakura was finished talking with Sanura. Getting up, she padded from the room. Her bare feet touched silently to the cool stone floor as she walked down the corridor. There was no sound coming from Bakura's room, so Kahlaya continued down the hall.

When she was about to round the corner to Sanura's hallway, Tarik came from the other direction and they almost collided.

Kahlaya took a step away from him, scowling. Tarik folded his arms across his chest and gave her an arrogant smirk.

"Well, look who it is," he sneered. "What are you doing out of your cage, Dog?"

Kahlaya mirrored his posture and said: "I'm looking for Bakura. You wouldn't have happened to have seen him, would you?"

He looked somewhat annoyed that she hadn't reacted defensively. So he tried again.

"What's the matter? Is the big bad wolf afraid to stay in this dark temple all alone? Need someone to hold your leash?"

Kahlaya really wanted to hit him, but instead she calmed herself and said: "No, I'm not afraid. I would just like to know where Bakura is."

Tarik's eyes narrowed. Then he laughed. "Oh, now I get it. It's not _you_ that needs _Bakura_. It's _Bakura_ that needs _you. _It seems to me like the Thief King needs a girl to protect him fr-"

He was cut off by Kahlaya punching his jaw. Her fist was lightning fast and he didn't have the slightest chance to defend against it. It collided solidly with his face and he stumbled backward. He glared at her and raised his arm to strike back, but Kahlaya used her aura to freeze him in place. He couldn't move an inch as Kahlaya glared angrily at him.

Her voice was a deadly whisper when she spoke. "Don't you _dare_ mock Bakura. He could take you down without breaking a sweat. I could kill you right now, if I wanted. But I won't." Kahlaya released her aura on him and he fell to the ground, onto one knee.

She walked swiftly passed him, not looking back. He turned his head and watched her go down the hallway. He would get her for that. If it was the last thing he did.

* * *

><p>Opening the door to Sanura's room, Kahlaya was shocked by what she saw. Sanura sat on the bed, cross-legged and with a wicked smile on her face. Bakura was on the floor across from the bed. He had his back against the wall and sat in a way that suggested he had been thrown there. His face plainly showed pain and he looked strained. He had his eyes closed and his head was thrown back, the top of it scrapping the wall.<p>

Kahlaya ran into the room. Sanura didn't break her gaze from Bakura as Kahlaya crouched next to him. She put her hands on each side of his face and brought his head down. His eyes still wouldn't open.

"Bakura? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice rising from fear and worry. "Come on, say something!"

"He won't respond," Sanura murmured quietly behind her.

Kahlaya whipped around and glared at the girl. "What are you doing to him?"

Sanura laughed and Kahlaya flinched at the high-pitched sound. "I'm testing out my new powers."

Kahlaya's teeth clenched and she held out her hand. A ball of her aura formed in her palm. Angrily, she thrust it at Sanura. It dissipated before hitting her.

Sanura laughed again. Snarling, Kahlaya stood and launched multiple spheres at the girl. Many of them evaporated before reaching her, but two hit her. One exploded into her arm and another hit her stomach. Sanura's face turned into a mask of anger. She narrowed her eyes at Kahlaya and an invisible force threw her into the wall. She was trapped. Her arms were pinned to her sides and she couldn't move.

Lightly, Sanura jumped off the bed. She looked down at Bakura, still in pain.

"It looks like I still have work to do." She sighed deeply.

"What are you doing to him?" Kahlaya demanded again, fighting the force that held her.

Sanura looked back to Kahlaya, surprise showing on her face. She was impressed that Kahlaya could partially break her spell by talking. "I'm bringing spirits from the shadows into the land of the living. More specifically, I'm trying to place a dark spirit in Bakura's body. But it's not working so well."

"Let. Him. Go," Kahlaya said, her teeth clenched together. She was using her aura to unravel Sanura's spell.

Sanura smiled. "Now, why would I do that? The spirit is trying to make its way into him. And I am guiding it. The process may still work. Just give it time." She sighed again. "He's just been a nuisance to me, anyway. All he does is talk and try to get me to use my powers to help him. This way, I'll have complete control over the spirit."

Kahlaya could feel the invisible force ebbing away, her aura pushing through it. Sanura was caught up in her own thoughts as she smiled wickedly down at Bakura. The force finally slipped away and Kahlaya thrust out her hand. She grabbed Sanura's throat and swung around, holding the girl against the wall. She used her aura to protect herself from any of Sanura's spells. The dark smile remained on Sanura's face, even as Kahlaya held her to the wall.

"Free him from the spirit," Kahlaya said in a deadly whisper.

Sanura ignored the demand. "I must say, Guardian, I am impressed with your power. You may even be stronger than me."

Kahlaya's eyes narrowed. "Release him before I kill you."

"If you kill me, how will you free him?"

Kahlaya's grip tightened. "I'll find a way."

The aura around Sanura became much more visible. Kahlaya could feel the dark essence around her. It brought ice to Kahlaya's blood and emanated evil.

"I'm sure you would."

Kahlaya could feel the jab of Sanura's spells as they hit her aura shield.

"I'll say it one more time: Let him go."

Sanura shrugged. "Fine, _Divine Guardian of the almighty Pharaoh._ I'll let him go. But just you wait. Soon, there will be many ghosts drifting around here, just waiting to find a body to possess."

Kahlaya shivered at her tone and she knew that Sanura hadn't missed it. Smirking, Sanura glared at Kahlaya with her dark blue eyes. They pierced into Kahlaya and she wanted to look away, but she forced herself to stare back. There was a gasp from the floor and Kahlaya saw Bakura slouch. His head drooped and he leaned forward. She took her eyes from Sanura and let go of the girl's neck. Kneeling beside Bakura, Kahlaya put a hand on his back and another on his arm.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently.

He was breathing heavily and was shivering. "I'm… just... fine," he gasped.

"No, you're not. You need to lie down."

Bakura's voice rose in anger. "No, I don't." He looked up at a smirking Sanura. "I need to take care of _her."_

He tried to stand and nearly fell over. Kahlaya caught him as he stumbled. Bakura went to push her away, but wavered again, falling into her.

"Please," she murmured. "You need to rest." She glared at Sanura. "You can deal with her later."

Sanura laughed as she watched Kahlaya help a staggering Bakura out of the room. He had one arm draped over her shoulders and she had one of her arms around his waist. She opened the door and they walked into the hallway. Kahlaya practically slammed the door behind her then slid a hand into Bakura's pocket to get the key. After locking the door, they went down the hall to Bakura's room.

It was a long and slow walk to Bakura's room and he stumbled numerous times, but they made it into the room, where he collapsed on the bed. His breath came in ragged heaves and his eyes were having a hard time remaining open. Kahlaya could tell that he would soon fall asleep.

She stood next to the bed, looking down at him. His face was pale and he looked like he was going to throw up.

"Go to sleep," she said. "You'll feel better when you wake up."

She could see his eyelids struggle to open and when they did, it was only a squint. "Unless I die before I wake up."

Kahlaya smirked and grabbed the wooden chair, pulling it next to the bed. Sitting down, she put her hands in her lap. Bakura had closed his eyes again. His breathing had calmed down and he looked more relaxed. Her gaze travelled to the table. There was no food or water there.

"Would you like anything?" she asked, turning back to him.

He shook his head slightly and slowly. Kahlaya sighed and leaned forward in her chair with her elbows on her knees. She watched as Bakura quickly fell asleep.

After he had fallen asleep, Kahlaya reached forward and gently pushed his hair out of his face. She liked how peaceful he looked while he slept. He looked free of worry and… well, gentle. The only thing that betrayed his peaceful face was the scar under his right eye. Kahlaya wondered, not for the first time, how he had gotten it.

Quietly, she rose to her feet and left the room. She was going to get some food and water for when he woke up.

It didn't take Kahlaya long to find Dakarai, who was in his own room based on the strong scent of him there. He agreed to prepare a tray for her to take to Bakura.

They walked to a cool room underneath the temple that stored food. Kahlaya watched as Dakarai began to chop a papaya.

"How did you end up here, Dakarai?"

He glanced up at her for a second before continuing to slice the fruit.

"I'm an orphan," he began quietly. "My parents died a few years ago. I met Bakura when I was in the marketplace in some city, trying unsuccessfully to steal some food. He saw me and thought I had potential." He shrugged. "I was already skilled in medicine, but I needed a way to get food and take care of myself. Bakura sort of took me under his wing and taught me to be a thief and to defend myself." His voice got even lower. "He saved my life."

Kahlaya smiled. "He seems to do that a lot."

Dakarai nodded. "He's not so bad." His blue eyes travelled up to Kahlaya. "Not to the people he cares about, anyway."

Kahlaya blushed and looked away from him. He finished chopping the fruit and handed the tray to her.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Dakarai smiled back. Kahlaya walked silently down the hallways, back to Bakura's room. She pushed the door open and went inside, putting the tray on the table. Bakura was still asleep, so she silently sat back in her chair.

Night had fallen outside and stars blinked in the sky. The moon wasn't visible, but it was there, still full and ominous. Kahlaya half smirked and looked back to Bakura, still sleeping peacefully. Tiredness was creeping into her body, making her eyes itch. Slowly, she fell forward until her head was on the edge of the bed. Her head was only there for a second, but, with Bakura near and his rhythmic heartbeat drumming in her ears, she fell into a dark sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, they love each other. 3 Giving Bakura those emotions was fun, seeing as how he isn't like that. But it's adorable when he's being all sweet. :)<strong>

**Oh, Tarik, what a scumbag. **

**Sanura is getting control over her powers, which is interesting. This whole Shadow Walker thing has a purpose, I promise. ;)**

**Some back story on Dakarai! I really like him as a character! **

**Review!**

**-AuraWolf **


	9. Chapter 9

**Big thank you to everyone who reviewed: **Dakota Ishtar, Viki boom, Random Pie, BakuraLOLZ99 **and** Reaper-of-Lost-Souls. **I appreciate your reviews very much! :)**

Chapter 9

Kahlaya woke and sat up quickly in bed. She had had another nightmare with the storm, the wolves and the strange man. She was sweating and shaking terribly. She was also in her own bed. How she had gotten there, she wasn't sure, but she didn't really think about it.

Peeling the covers away from her, she got out of bed and left the room. She didn't go to Bakura's room; he was most likely still asleep. Kahlaya assumed it to be about midnight. She walked down the hall and into the big main room. With a glance at the wolf statue, she exited the temple.

The night was cool and a small breeze drifted dryly through the air. Kahlaya didn't have her robe on, so the temperature chilled her skin. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked farther away from the temple. The moon bathed the sand in silver and gave her light as she moved. Kahlaya wasn't really paying attention to where her feet were taking her, but she saw that she was going in the direction of the oasis. She decided that that was her favourite spot to be. Her bare feet sunk into the cold sand as she made her way up and over the sand dune. When she made it to the top, she marvelled at the sight of the oasis at night.

Small ripples went across the two pools of water and the leaves of the palm trees rustled in the breeze. The moon's glow gave it a mysterious and sparkling aura. The flowers had shrunk into their night time states, but still looked beautiful.

Smiling, Kahlaya slid down the side of the hill and walked to the grassy patch. She sat down next to the same tree she had sat beside the other day, beside one of the pools of water. Dipping her hands into the cool liquid, she splashed her face. It felt nice on her sweat-sticky skin. She splashed more water onto her arms and legs, washing off.

When she felt clean and satisfied, Kahlaya leaned against the tree and closed her eyes, feeling the cool breeze on her skin. The water had made her even colder, but she liked the feel of the night around her and didn't want to go back and get her robe, so she tolerated it. Opening her eyes, she gazed at the stars winking at her overhead.

She had always loved the night sky, and, for some reason, it looked even more beautiful than it had before. Sighing happily, she just sat and stared at the sky.

So much had happened in the course of just days. She had found out the truth about Sanura, had improved much of her skills and had fallen for someone she really shouldn't have. The more Kahlaya thought about it, the more she knew that they could never really be together. She needed to go to the palace and be the pharaoh's guardian, not sit out in the desert, falling in love with one of the most feared thieves in Egypt. She wished she could. More than anything, she wished she could just be with Bakura, without any duties and responsibilities. Just be normal. But she would never be normal, that much was obvious. Kahlaya would never be a normal person. She was a Divine Guardian. She could turn into a wolf. She could use her aura to throw people into walls.

'_I don't care,' _she thought. '_I don't care what I am or what I can do. I'm going to spend as much time with him as I can. We're meant to be together and nothing can stop that.'_

Nodding to her own thoughts, Kahlaya closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She wrapped her arms around herself. She shivered and began rubbing her arms, using friction to keep them warm.

"Cold?" came a voice from behind her.

Kahlaya sighed inwardly at the familiar sound. Without opening her eyes she said: "Very."

Something warm and smelling of waterfalls was laid on top of her. Smiling, she pulled it up to her chin. She felt him sit down beside her, leaning on the same tree. Their shoulders touched as they both leaned back. Kahlaya opened her eyes and looked over at him.

The moonlight gave his hair a silvery sheen. He had his violet eyes open and was looking up at the sky. The only thing he was wearing was his kilt and his shoes. Looking down at herself, she saw that he had given her his red and gold robe.

"Now you're probably cold," she muttered, reaching a hand out to touch his cold arm.

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

She smirked. "You tend to say that when you're not fine."

He didn't say anything so she asked: "How did you know where to find me? Wait, how did you know I left at all?"

He smiled at her. Another real smile. "It's not hard to figure out you like this place. So it's not hard to figure out you would have come here. As for how I knew you left..." he shrugged. "I wasn't sleeping and I heard you get up."

"Oh." Kahlaya nodded and looked at the sky. "Why weren't you sleeping? You should have been. Sanura really took a toll on you."

He grimaced. "She's not going to get away with it. And I just couldn't sleep."

Kahlaya noticed goose bumps appearing on his arms. She scooted closer to him so that their arms pressed against each other and their hips touched. Pulling the robe over, she laid half of it on him and half on her.

"You should have brought a blanket," she teased. "I mean, that would have been the smart thing to do."

Smirking, he said: "I thought you would have had the brains to bring your own blanket. It was you who came outside in the middle of the night, after all."

She smiled. "And it was you who followed me out here."

"If I hadn't, you would be turning blue right now."

"Well, then, thank you."

Kahlaya dropped her gaze from the sky and looked at a sleeping flower beside her.

"I was talking to Dakarai earlier," she murmured. "He told me that you saved him. That if you hadn't come along, he wouldn't have lasted much longer on his own."

She glanced over at Bakura, who was watching her intently.

"You're sort of like a brother to him, aren't you?" she asked.

He nodded slightly and looked away. "He was just having some trouble. I knew he had potential and that he'd be useful. My assumptions had been correct."

"How old was he when you met him?"

"Twelve. He's fifteen now."

Kahlaya nodded thoughtfully and gazed at the stars. "I was taken from my parents practically the moment I was born. I've never even seen them. My whole life has been about becoming a Divine Guardian to serve the new pharaoh. Every day was training and following orders. I was always told what my life would be. I could never decide for myself. I don't know if I hated it, but I didn't like it. There were perks. I mean, the palace gave me money and I was going to live there. It would have been different if I could have chosen to live that way, but I didn't. I really didn't like the idea of my whole future being planned for me."

She looked at Bakura. He had his eyes to the sky, but she knew he had been listening.

"I was ten," he began. "I lived with my parents in a small village. One day, an army of the pharaoh's soldiers came and slaughtered everyone in my village. I saw my parents die in front of me. I was the only survivor. Leaving the village, I learned to fend for myself. I quickly became a skilled thief and developed a reputation. I got this," he pointed to the scar on his face, "from fighting one of the most well-known thieves' at that time. I killed him, and he gave me this scar. People feared me everywhere I went. And I didn't mind. I still don't. It was easy to get followers and I soon had my own little group. So, that's where I began. That's how I got to this point."

Kahlaya frowned sadly at him. He was still looking at the stars. "That's... terrible," she whispered. "Why did they murder your whole village?"

He shrugged. "They created seven items using shadow magic. These items are called the Millennium Items. They're used to summon shadow creatures. The pharaoh and his guards possess them."

His eyes were so full of rage and hatred that Kahlaya had to look away. Silence stretched between them. Finally, Kahlaya rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He looked down at her, confused. "For what?"

"I was going to be a part of that. I'm the Divine Guardian of the next pharaoh. I was going to be protecting the son of the man who ordered the murder of your village."

A warm tear dripped down her face, landing on his skin. Bakura's arm snaked around her and he pulled her closer to him. She reached up and angrily wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Stop saying that."

"Sorry. Oops!" She clamped a hand over her mouth. "I'll stop."

"Good."

"Thanks for carrying me to bed earlier," she said, her eyes closed.

His shoulder shook as he laughed slightly. "You didn't seem to be in a very comfortable position when I woke up. I thought you'd sleep better in your own bed."

Kahlaya liked the way he said it was 'her bed' making it her room. Like she lived there now. Tilting her head up, she stretched her neck and kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad I understand now," she said.

"Understand what?"

"Why you are the way you are. You're angry, upset. I would be too if that had happened to me. I understand your hate for the pharaoh and the kingdom."

He grunted and smirked. "You don't have a reason to like the pharaoh either. Yet, you still seem like you would become his son's Divine Guardian."

"I have to," Kahlaya murmured. "I have no choice. I can't just hide out here with you. They will eventually find me." She scowled. "It's my duty."

They remained silent for quite a while. Kahlaya thought that Bakura was drifting into sleep, but when she looked at him, he was just gazing at the stars.

"There is one thing I would still like to know," Kahlaya said.

"What would that be?" he asked quietly.

"I want to know why you like me. What you see in me. From all the stories I've heard, the Thief King doesn't have any feelings."

He didn't say anything and Kahlaya didn't think he would answer.

"I didn't think I had any feelings other than my hate towards the pharaoh and my lust for revenge," he replied in a quiet voice. "When I saw Dakarai, I felt like I had to help him. I don't know why. When I saw you, my whole heart, which I had thought was a black hole, got warmer. I don't understand these... emotions. Frankly, I find them annoying and angering."

Kahlaya pulled away from him. "You think having feelings toward me is annoying and angering?"

He gazed down at her sympathetically. "That... isn't what I meant. It's the feelings themselves. Not what they symbolize."

She still wasn't exactly happy with it, but she was satisfied enough and forgave him. Putting her head back on his shoulder, Kahlaya sighed and closed her eyes. The weather wasn't bothering her anymore. She was warm next to Bakura.

"I've never... felt like this either." She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was gazing at her warmly. "I've only known a number of people in my life and I've never had feelings quite as strong as the ones I feel for you. It's a little bit strange."

"I know what you mean."

"But I'm not complaining. I do like the feeling."

He seemed to consider for a second. "I think I... might as well."

She smiled and nuzzled her face on his shoulder. "I'm glad to hear it."

Kahlaya closed her eyes again and listened to Bakura's heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. She started laughing and he looked at her questioningly. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze, trying to hold back her laughter.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Sorry, we were sort of having a moment there, huh? I was just thinking about what you said. It was sweet and I loved it, but I just never imagined hearing the great Thief King saying anything like it."

He scowled. "That makes two of us." Yawning, he leaned his head back against the tree. "It's late."

"Really? I never would have guessed." She smiled at him before closing her eyes again, stifling her own yawn.

"You don't want to go back inside?" he asked.

"I'm actually very comfortable right here."

"That's good because I didn't want to move."

Kahlaya sighed deeply and snuggled closer to him. She fell quickly asleep with Bakura's arm wrapped around her.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya woke up with her head on Bakura's shoulder and one arm across his chest. The morning sun was climbing into the sky, bathing the land in its golden glow. She yawned silently and looked up at his face. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. Still asleep. Kahlaya settled herself back on his shoulder and contented herself with listening to his heart, one of her favourite sounds.<p>

She was completely overwhelmed by happiness at what Bakura had confessed that night. He had admitted much more than she ever thought he would. It made her know that he really did care about her and felt the same way she did. She finally had something that hadn't been thrown at her without her say in the matter. No one had told her to fall in love with Bakura. No one had planned it for her. She had herself. She enjoyed the feeling of freedom that came with it. A wide smile spread across her face and she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him. She couldn't ask for a better morning than this one.

There was a sigh above her. Glancing up, she saw Bakura looking at her.

She smiled. "Good morning, my king."

He had a half-smile, half-smirk on his face. "Sleep well, my Guardian?"

Kahlaya liked the way it sounded on his lips. "Yes. Very well. You?"

"It wasn't terrible."

Kahlaya pulled away from him and jumped to her feet, stretching. "So," she asked. "What's on the agenda today?"

Bakura stood and stretched his arms and legs. "Battle practice. I'd like to see how well you can fight while on two feet instead of four paws."

Kahlaya smiled knowingly and crossed her arms. "I've been training all my life. I'm sure you'll be impressed."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>Bakura dodged skillfully out of the way and his blade swung forward, stopping just in front of Kahlaya's neck. They had been practicing for quite some time and neither of them were growing faintly tired or had given in to the other. They matched each other's attacks perfectly and always expertly dodged out of the way of each other's swords. This time though, Bakura had managed a sneaky maneuver and had gotten the perfect killing chance.<p>

Kahlaya gasped in surprise and then growled angrily. She raised a hand and pushed his sword away from her throat. She took a step back from him.

"That was the first time anyone has ever... beaten me."

He frowned. "That enemy from the Dark Destroyers seemed to have gotten an advantage over you."

"I mean in a sword fight."

Bakura smiled. "How many enemies have you fought?"

Kahlaya's eyebrows pressed down over her eyes and she frowned. "I haven't... ever really fought any enemies, per say... just my master. The Spirit Master taught me every day."

"That's why you lost," Bakura said. "You've ever only fought one person. I've been in dozens of fights and I've learned from all of my opponents. You have only learned from one person. And then that wasn't even really a battle. All that was was training."

Kahlaya nodded thoughtfully, considering. "I... guess that makes sense."

"So," he said, getting into a fighting stance. "Why don't I give you a lesson?"

Kahlaya mimicked the stance and twirled her sword in her hand. Smiling, she did a mock bow of the head. "I look forward to learning some of your fighting wisdom," she looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, "Master."

He smirked and rushed at her, sword raised. She met his attack with a swing of her own as they went into another dance of death.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya used the cloth and bucket of fresh water to wash off and then pulled her dress back on. There were a few tears in it and was getting quite filthy. She needed a new one. The sun was setting and the temperature dropping, she'd let Bakura know and maybe they could go into the city and get some fresh clothing.<p>

Opening her door, she found him leaning against the wall. He had already cleaned off and had clean clothes on: a black tunic that had sleeves going to just above the elbows and fabric that ended at his knees. There was a lighter black-blue belt around his waist. He was wearing black sandals and had gold bands along his shins and forearms, obviously stolen. He looked like a prince while she, in her rugged dress, looked like someone who had been working in the fields all day.

She looked him up and down. "Woah."

"What?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "What? Seriously? You look like royalty!"

He smiled. "You don't look half bad yourself."

She scowled. "I look terrible. My hair is a mess and this dress is pretty much ruined."

"We'll have to get you a new one. We need to get food anyway."

"Great, when do we leave?"

Bakura pushed away from the wall. "Right away."

They left the temple and went to the makeshift stone stable. Kahlaya easily found Shakir and she went to where he was tied, eating. When he saw her coming, he raised his head and walked towards her, as far as the rope he was tied to allowed. She petted his head and patted his neck. His ears flicked forward and he bumped her hand with his nose.

"Hey, buddy," she said softly. "I haven't seen you in a while."

He neighed and shook his mane. Kahlaya smiled and, seeing her purple riding pad on the floor not far away, turned to go retrieve it.

"You can't use that," Bakura warned. "Or ride your horse."

Kahlaya frowned, and then nodded. "They'd recognize him."

Turning around, Kahlaya rubbed Shakir's neck, which he gladly leaned into, then swiveled her gaze around at the other horses. "So, which one can I ride?"

Bakura shrugged. "Choose."

Kahlaya carefully walked among the horses. Each one was different and each was beautiful. They had all been stolen, which explained their magnificence. She finally stopped next to a black mare who watched her intently. Raising a hand, Kahlaya touched the mare's nose. The horse butted her hand happily and her ears flipped forward. Kahlaya smiled, patting the mare's neck.

Bakura walked over to them and the mare twisted her head away from Kahlaya, toward him. He petted her shoulder.

"She's my horse," he said.

"Oh," Kahlaya replied. "I'll choose a different one then."

"No, it's fine. She usually doesn't like anyone but me, so I'd like to see how she deals with you."

Kahlaya smiled slightly. "What's her name?"

"Kanika."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful mare," Kahlaya murmured, scratching Kanika's neck.

Kahlaya and Bakura brushed their horses and put on the saddle pads. Bakura had chosen a bay mare who looked fast and who had an attitude. She didn't like when Kahlaya got too close to her and would either try to bite her or would kick. Kahlaya decided to give up trying to make friends with her and stayed away. When they were almost done, Dakarai showed up at the door.

"Going somewhere?" he asked quietly.

Bakura didn't look at him when he said. "Yes. We're going to the city." He stopped and seemed to debate over something in his mind. "Go tell Tarik and Kosey. I want everyone to come. We'll also need to bring Sanura, but I'll handle her."

Dakarai nodded and went back into the night.

After he had disappeared, Kahlaya asked. "Why are they coming too?"

He tightened the strap for the saddle pad and looked up at her. "If they stay here and we're attacked, they won't stand a chance. I'd rather our enemies find a deserted temple than only three defenders."

She nodded and finished adjusting the bridle on Kanika. Kahlaya couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that it wouldn't be just her and Bakura travelling.

They led their horses out of the stable and met Tarik, Dakarai and Kosey heading in to ready their horses. Tarik gave Kahlaya a cold look which she returned. When he saw that she was leading Kanika, he narrowed his eyes and then a dark smile came upon his face. He probably thought that Kanika wouldn't cooperate with Kahlaya on her back, as Bakura had mentioned.

Bakura stopped and handed his horse's reins to Kahlaya, which she tentatively took.

"I need to go get Sanura. She can't stay here alone. You also need to wear a cloak."

He went inside the fire lit temple, leaving Kahlaya with the two horses in the cool evening air. The sun was almost passed the horizon, the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange. The temperature was dropping, so Kahlaya stepped closer to Kanika, pressing her shoulder against the horse's side.

Bakura wasn't gone too long, and when he came back outside, he was towing Sanura along behind him by her wrist. He tossed a black cloak at Kahlaya. She caught it and gratefully put it on, enjoying the warmth it provided. Tarik, Dakarai and Kosey came out of the stable, already on their horses and each was wearing a black cloak. Kahlaya found that they looked quite menacing on their horses and draped in black. Bakura took Sanura to Kosey and helped her up onto the back of his horse.

"Keep an eye on her," Bakura ordered Kosey. "Make sure she doesn't… try anything."

Kosey nodded and Bakura went back to his horse. He easily jumped onto it and then looked at Kahlaya as she readied herself to get on Kanika's back. She jumped on gracefully and fixed her cloak. Taking the reins, Kahlaya gave Kanika a small nudge in the side and walked up to beside Bakura. She was amazed at how well behaved Kanika was. Kahlaya had had her doubts.

"Use your aura to put a barrier around Sanura," he muttered to her.

Kahlaya nodded and closed her eyes, focusing her energy to create a protective shield around Sanura so that her powers were neutralized.

Looking behind her, she saw Tarik with an angry expression plastered to his face. His brown eyes were fiery. Bakura nodded once and then turned his horse to the west, leading them away. Kahlaya followed closely beside him, enjoying the cool breeze on her face and the feeling of freedom she felt as she rode.

* * *

><p><strong>Hurray! They're getting away from the temple! This ought to be fun! <strong>

**...I don't really have anything to say here. :P**

**Review!**

**-AuraWolf**


	10. Chapter 10

**Big thank you to everyone who reviewed! To all of the regular reviewers: **Viki boom, Dakota Ishtar, BakuraLOLZ99**! And to the new reviewers: **The Queen of Fire **and **Shadowclanwarrior.

**To **Dakota Ishtar**: Now that you mention it, Dakarai does remind me of the Pokémon Darkrai. That was not intentional. :P**

**To **Shadowclanwarrior**: Yeah, I have seen a few fanfic with characters having something to do with a wolf. Wolves have always been my favourite animal and, even though wolves are used a lot, I was hoping to change it up a little and make the wolf involvement in this story different from everyone else. But, the wolf is my real spirit animal and that's why I chose it. Too late to change now, though I do like the idea of the lion. That would have been interesting as well. Thanks for the review! :)**

Chapter 10

Kahlaya galloped Kanika across the sand, Bakura keeping pace with her and the others following closely behind. She had always loved riding, but hadn't done it much when she was with Okpara. Mostly all they did was train, but he had taught her how to ride when she was younger. Kahlaya had picked up the concept easily and was a skilled rider.

They had been riding all night and it was nearly sunrise. As she made it to the top of a dune, Kahlaya saw the city laid out in front of her. There was the huge palace, the tall wall that surrounded all the buildings and the shimmering waters of the Nile. Kahlaya wasn't sure if she was happy to be back or not.

She stopped her horse as Bakura halted atop the hill. The others stopped as well, so that there were two horses on each side of Bakura.

Kahlaya looked nervously at the city. "How are we going to get in? I mean, wouldn't the guards check our faces. They'd definitely recognize me and you." She looked at Bakura.

He laughed. "You don't think we've done this before? Those guards are as idiotic as they come."

"Of course." She looked back at the city, still doubting whether or not they could get in without being caught.

Tarik grunted and gave Kahlaya a look that she took as anger that she doubted their thief skills.

"When do we go?" She asked, not liking the silence.

"You ask a lot of questions, Wolf," Tarik sneered.

Kahlaya really wanted to punch him right in the mouth, but she ignored him and waited for Bakura's reply.

"When the sun rises. There's less suspicion entering during the day."

She nodded and resettled her position on the horse. Sunrise wasn't too far away, so she just needed to be patient.

The time passed and they all remained silent. When the sun made it passed the horizon and the darkness of the night was chased away, they began their descent toward the city. They went at a steady walk and Kahlaya pulled her hood up over her head. She was riding between Bakura and Dakarai at the back so that the guards wouldn't pay her much attention. Tarik had taken the lead along with Kosey. They would talk their way in.

The entrance wasn't far away and Kahlaya's heart was pounding. She was extremely nervous about getting into the city. What if they were caught? They'd take Bakura and the rest of them and lock them up in the dungeon. Kahlaya would go back to Okpara and continue her training, probably like nothing had ever happened. She really didn't want that to happen. She wouldn't be able to stand it if Bakura was captured.

They came to the entrance, where two guards sat on horseback. They turned toward the group, each holding a spear and looking extremely tired. The timing of their entrance was perfect. The guards were tired and wary from being up all night. They were just waiting to be replaced with the morning guards.

The group halted. Kahlaya kept her head down and played with the reins in her hands as she anxiously waited.

"State your business," one guard ordered, trying to sound alert and awake.

Tarik answered. "We are from down the Nile, travelling. We've been riding all night and would like to rest. There are friends of ours who live here and we are going to stay with them for a few days."

The guards exchanged a glance and then one shrugged. They didn't seem to really care for their duty when sleep was all they could think of.

"Very well, you may pass," the first guard said. They moved away from the entrance and the group walked through.

Once they had safely gotten through and had walked farther into the city, they all dismounted. When Kahlaya's feet hit the ground, her legs were wobbly from her nervousness. She leaned against Kanika for support. She patted the mare's neck and took hold of the reins.

"I don't care what you do," Bakura said to the other thieves. "Just don't get yourselves caught. You know where to meet later."

As they all walked away, towing their horses, Kosey asked. "What about the witch?"

"Keep her with you. And don't let her get into trouble."

Kosey scowled angrily, but nodded and walked off with Sanura still on the horse.

Kahlaya walked up to stand next to Bakura. His horse neighed and thrashed her head angrily at her approach. Kahlaya gave her a smirk and then turned to Bakura.

"To the marketplace?" she asked.

He nodded. And they set off in that direction. They walked in silence and then Kahlaya realized that they were passing Okpara's house. She stopped and stared at it for a second. Nothing seemed to have changed about it. It was the exact same from when she had last seen it. She found it strange. So much about her had changed while the place where she had lived her whole life remained untouched.

Bakura had stopped beside her. He was looking at the house, but then his eyes slid to her.

"This is where you lived?" he asked.

She nodded. "My whole life." Kahlaya turned to the palace. "And that's where I'm supposed to live."

Bakura looked at it and his eyes narrowed. He seemed to be deep in thought, staring at the enormous palace.

Kahlaya reached out and took his hand in hers. He looked down at their hands together and then up to Kahlaya's semi-smiling face. Letting go of the reins, she slowly reached up and brushed her fingertips over his scar.

"They aren't going to get away with what they did to you," she whispered. "I promise."

She dropped her hand and grabbed Kanika's reins again. They stared into each other's eyes and Kahlaya was saddened to see the sadness and vulnerability shinning there. Those emotions were only there for a second as he regained his indifferent expression.

She smiled and hurried forward, pulling him along, toward the marketplace. They made it to the circle of stands in no time. Only a small number of them were open at this time of day. There was a bucket of water nearby and Kanika pulled toward it. Kahlaya walked her over to it and the mare gratefully drank half of the water. Bakura led his horse over to drink the rest.

As they waited for Bakura's horse to finish drinking, Kahlaya saw a stand that was selling beautiful dresses and clothing. One dress really caught Kahlaya's attention. It was the one on display, hanging on a nail. The fabric was black and there was a gold belt. The collar was a U shape that draped over the shoulders into sleeves that hung loosely to the elbows in waves. There was gold lining at the bottom, on the sleeves and on the collar.

Bakura watched her look at the dress. His gaze moved to the clothing and then back to her.

"I take it you want that one."

Kahlaya nodded absently then broke her gaze away from the dress and to Bakura. "But I don't have any mo-" She broke off at his sly smile. "Ri-ight." She muttered, raising her eyebrows as she said it. "Forgot."

"I'll get it." He tied the reins to a pole. "You just need to be a distraction."

Kahlaya's eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened. "What? I actually need to help you steal it?"

He frowned. "Be quiet. Everyone will hear you." He eyed her skeptically. "You'd be a terrible thief."

She smirked. "That's not necessarily true. I think I'd do just fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to test that theory?"

She smiled, narrowing her eyes. "Fine. But I'm going for something easy." She looked around at the stands, her gaze finally settling on a fruit stand. "Like food."

Handing him Kanika's reins, she confidently strode into the marketplace, heading for the fruit stand.

There weren't many people around and so she didn't seem so out of place in her black cloak. Walking up to the stand, she examined the available fruit. There were papayas and mangos as well as bananas and coconuts. Deciding that she'd steal a mango, Kahlaya walked between them and the papayas. The skinny man behind the stand watched her warily. She could feel Bakura's eyes on her which made her a little nervous.

Looking up from the fruit, Kahlaya smiled warmly at the man. "Wonderful fruit," she said, batting her eyes. "It must have taken some time to get all of this food."

He grunted and looked down. "A lot of hard work."

Kahlaya smiled. It was working. She slipped a mango off the pile as he was staring at the ground and hid it in her cloak sleeve. "I wish I had the money to buy some." Taking a step back she continued. "I'll just go get some money and be back."

He looked up, somewhat disappointed looking, and then his expression turned into a creepy smile that made Kahlaya shiver inwardly. "Alright. You hurry back, then."

"Oh, I will." Kahlaya winked, then turned around and smirked. Men and their ridiculous feelings. Kahlaya laughed slightly. What an idiot.

She walked up to Bakura and tossed him the mango, which he easily caught.

"There, I stole something. And I wasn't half bad."

Bakura smirked. "You stole a mango."

Kahlaya's lips pressed together and she narrowed her eyes. "Hey, that was the first time I ever stole something. Give me some credit."

He smiled partially and handed her Kanika's reins. "Now watch how a real thief does it."

Kahlaya took the mango from him and put it in a bag tied to his saddle pad. She then tied the reins to the same pole as the other horse and turned to watch him.

Bakura was walking into the marketplace, but not toward the fruit stand. He looked like he was going to go right passed it and down a road. The stand owner was staring around, gawking at any women he could lay his eyes on, not paying attention to Bakura.

As the owner's eyes followed a woman who was walking in the opposite direction of Bakura, the thief swiftly kicked out his foot and hit the stand's leg. The entire thing collapsed, sending fruit rolling everywhere. The stand owner yelled furiously and went running after the quickest-rolling fruit. Bakura stooped and took a bag from his pocket, throwing as much fruit into it as he could. The commotion had created a crowd and Bakura was soon lost from sight.

He returned not long afterward, however, the bag slung over his shoulder. He smiled while Kahlaya leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, smirking. He set the bag down and handed her the black dress. Her mouth hung open as she took it from him.

"You managed to steal this too?"

He shrugged, giving her three other articles of clothing: a nightgown and a top with a matching skirt.

"I'm not sure what those other two are. I just sort of grabbed them."

Kahlaya looked them over. It would be nice to have a nightgown to sleep in instead of wearing her daytime clothing to bed. It was just a simple, creamy white, knee-length gown with a V-neck collar and elbow-length, loose sleeves. The two-piece outfit was very nice. It was white and the top stopped just under the rib-cage, leaving a strip of abdomen visible. It had a V-neck collar and left the arms bare. The skirt fell on one side to the middle of her shin and the other side reached to just above her knee. There was gold lining on both pieces.

"Wow, pretty nice for being in a hurry. And they look like they'd fit perfectly."

He shrugged again and tied the bag of fruit to his saddle pad.

Kahlaya looked at the beautiful clothing. "I feel kind of bad for the woman who made these. She must have put a lot of time and effort into the clothes."

Bakura laughed. "You didn't feel bad about taking that mango."

She smirked. "It was only a mango. Plus, that guy looked like a total scumbag."

"You're the one who wanted it. Now you have some clothes, so don't complain about how you got them. If it bothers you that much, by all means, take them back."

Kahlaya stared at the clothes, then up at the still chaotic marketplace. She sighed. "Oh well, whatever. Thanks. Now let's get out of here."

"Alright."

They untied their horses and walked away from the crowd, farther into the streets of the city. Kahlaya laid the clothes over Kanika's back.

The sun was higher in the morning sky and Kahlaya liked the warmth of it on her back as they walked. It felt like any other day in the city. The way she used to go out and buy things Okpara needed or just walk around. But that wasn't the case. She had a completely different life. Nothing was like it used to be and it was probably for the best. At least, Kahlaya hoped it was.

Smiling, she said: "Man, what I wouldn't do for a bath right now."

Bakura looked sideways at her. "That can be arranged."

She looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I know where to go."

That kind of made Kahlaya nervous, but she shrugged it off. A bath would be great.

They walked down a road that was dark despite the rising sun. Kahlaya had never been down that road before and she got a bad aura from it. It made her shiver. They tied the horses to a pole down another alley off of the main road, where it didn't look like anyone ever went. Bakura left them some of the fruit, and then safely tied the bag to his saddle. They were in the shade, so the fruit should be alright. She took her clothing from Kanika's back. They went back to the main road and continued walking.

Bakura stopped at a rundown old building. The windows were dark and the place looked uninhabited. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. They didn't wait long before someone opened the door, just a crack.

"Yes?" An older, short, thin man asked. Kahlaya could sense his aura. She shuddered at the cold darkness of it.

Bakura took something from his pocket and showed it to him. The man nodded and quickly opened the door the rest of the way. Bakura walked inside and Kahlaya followed, staying close to him.

Inside smelled musky. There was the scent of alcohol, men and some females. The place had the odor of hardly being cleaned. There were several tables and booths set up as well as a bar at the back. There were a few candles, the lighting dim, making the atmosphere ominous. There were people seated at some of the booths and they all had cloaks with their hoods up. Kahlaya knew that they were mostly all male, but Kahlaya could smell at least two females hiding under those cloaks.

'_They must all be thieves and criminals. It's a secret place for them,' _Kahlaya thought. '_And some are female. I've never heard of a female thief.'_

Bakura walked through the room, to the man at the bar. He was a bulky, middle-aged man with a scar on his face and a balding head. He had dark, beady eyes that Kahlaya couldn't meet. She stared at the ground as she walked next to Bakura.

Bakura took a gold coin from his pocket and dropped it on the counter. "I'd like a room."

The man grinned and his eyes fell on Kahlaya. She forced herself to look up and stare into his wicked eyes. She put all the hatred and anger she could put in her gaze and he was the first to look away, with a somewhat startled expression.

"Sure." He pointed up a flight of stairs. "Third door on the right." He took the coin from the counter and turned away.

Kahlaya smiled partially and went up the stairs with Bakura. They went to the third door on the right and went inside.

The room was much nicer than downstairs. There was a beautiful bed with multiple cushions and the room smelled like lilac. The floor had a soft rug and there were bright candles on two night stands. Bakura stood in the open doorway as Kahlaya looked around.

He pointed to a curtain on the right side of the room. "There's a bath on the other side. There should be new warm water in it. I'll wait outside."

He left the room, closing the door behind him. Kahlaya watched the door for a second. She could hear Bakura just outside the door. Smiling, she went to the curtain and pulled it back. There was a large bathtub with warm water and fluffy bubbles. There were several soaps next to the bath as well as fresh towels.

Kahlaya closed the curtain and quickly undressed then got into the warm water. It was so refreshing, that she couldn't help but just sit back and let the water soak into her tired, weary muscles. Kahlaya washed through her hair with soap that smelled like vanilla and then scrubbed all the dirt off her body. When she was satisfied, she left the tub and wrapped a towel around her body. After drying off, Kahlaya put on her new black dress. She loved the way it fell over her body. It was perfect for her. There was a brush lying with the bath stuff and she cleaned it in the water then used it to brush through her hair, pulling out all the knots and making it smooth. Content with herself, Kahlaya went to let Bakura into the room.

He was still standing by the door, leaning with his back to the wall. He turned to her when the door opened and his eyes travelled the length of her body, making her blush, before resting on her face.

"You look..." he couldn't find what to say.

"Clean," she finished. "It feels pretty nice." She looked down at her still-bare feet. "Though, it would be nice to have some shoes."

"We can handle that later," Bakura said, walking into the room.

Kahlaya followed and closed the door behind her. Bakura was sitting at the bottom of the bed. Looking at his face, Kahlaya could see that he was tired. Seeing that, she realized that she was exhausted as well. From the long ride of the night before and the morning's events. It was noon now.

"Tired?" she asked, knowing the answer.

He nodded and lay back on the bed. Smiling, Kahlaya jumped onto the mattress next to him, causing Bakura to bounce from the impact.

He frowned over at her. "Was that necessary?"

She laughed. "Yes." Then she frowned. "That guy downstairs was really creepy. How is this room so nice when downstairs... isn't?"

Bakura shrugged. "They like to keep their customers. It's really expensive for a room. That'd be why."

Kahlaya nodded. "What is this place?"

"A safe house for thieves and criminals. That's why the people downstairs had their faces hidden."

She nodded again. "Now I understand why that guy smiled so... nastily... when you asked for a room with me." She shuddered.

"Yeah. They get a lot of that here."

Kahlaya felt slightly uncomfortable on the bed. "I hope they clean the sheets."

He laughed. "They do, don't worry."

"Good." Kahlaya shuffled up farther on the mattress and laid into all the pillows. Bakura followed and lay down next to her.

Her eyelids drooped and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"For the love of Ra, Kahlaya, your hair is soaking wet!" he said, scooting a little bit away from her.

She laughed. "Sorry. You just have really comfortable shoulders."

He sighed and moved back. "Alright, I'll bear through it."

Kahlaya smiled and put her head back on his warm shoulder. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. His head fell to the side, his cheek resting on her head, despite her cold, wet hair.

The events of the night and day caught up to Kahlaya and she fell into a warm sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Were there all those bath things in Ancient Egypt? I very much doubt it, but who doesn't love some anachronism? <strong>

**Wow, I hate using the word 'stuff' but I wasn't sure what else to say, so I left it there. :/ Sorry about that.**

**Review!**

**-AuraWolf**


	11. Chapter 11

**Massive thank you to all reviwers! **Viki boom, Dakota Ishtar, BakuraLOLZ99, Shadowclanwarrior **and **Queen of Fire.

**To **Queen of Fire: **I do like to add some humour to my stories. :P But the initial aim isn't for it to be funny. ;)**

**To **Shadowclanwarrior: **I'm glad you read all of it and that you like it! :)**

**To **BakuraLOLZ99: **Haha, I don't plan on having that happen. :P But I have always been interested to see how Bakura would act if he had a daughter. :P**

Chapter 11

Kahlaya woke a few hours later, alone. She sat up and looked around. He wasn't there. Frowning, she stood up and stretched, then brushed through her tangled, bed head hair. There was a pair of sandals next to her cloak. They were her size perfectly and were the kind with straps that went partially up her calves. Smiling, Kahlaya put them on, happy to have something on her feet. She threw her cloak on and put the hood up, then left the room.

It was almost evening and the hallway was dark. Kahlaya could easily smell Bakura's scent. There was an older one from when they had first arrived, and then there was a fresher trail leading down the stairs. She followed the trail to the room downstairs.

There were still people seated at booths and tables, each had their faces hidden. Kahlaya used her nose to follow Bakura's scent through the tables to a booth at the back corner. He was sitting there with Kosey and Sanura, both with dark cloaks. Kahlaya sat down next to Bakura, across from Kosey and Sanura.

She looked over at Sanura, who had her head down and seemed to be just staring at the floor. Her aura made Kahlaya shiver, so she looked away, to Bakura.

"Are we staying much longer?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head. "As soon as Dakarai and Tarik get here, we're leaving."

Just then, someone else came in. He looked small and, after looking around the room and spotting them, walked over to where they sat. Kahlaya immediately knew it was Dakarai, from his scent. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the table, sitting down.

"Any sign of Tarik?" Bakura asked him.

Dakarai shook his head.

Bakura sighed in exasperation. "I really wish he would actually show up early sometimes."

Kahlaya looked over at Kosey, who had a strange aura about him. He seemed worried or... scared. Kahlaya didn't know what that was about. There seemed to be something bothering him. When he saw that she was looking at him, Kosey scowled and composed his features, making them stone cold and indifferent. He couldn't hide his aura though, and that feeling of worry was still there.

She was going to ask him about it when the door burst open and someone ran inside, slamming it shut behind him. All eyes turned to the cloaked man as his head swept around the room, plainly in a hurry. His head came in their direction and then he hurried over. Obviously, Tarik had arrived.

He came over to their booth and leaned over the table. His face was full of excitement and adrenalin.

"They're coming," he whispered, partially laughing.

Bakura growled. "What did you do?"

He shrugged. "Oh, nothing," he said, laughing.

Dakarai and Kosey stood up suddenly and Bakura turned toward the booth exit, which Kahlaya was blocking.

"We need to leave," he said urgently. "Now."

Kahlaya jumped out of the booth, followed swiftly by Bakura. Kosey took Sanura's wrist and pulled her out of her seat. Bakura ran through the room, heading for the stairs. As they were going past, the bartender yelled at them.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Bakura didn't look at him as he said: "If you value your life, I suggest you leave."

He gave them a blank expression, which suddenly turned to fear and then ran for a back door.

Bakura led them up the stairs. As they were passing Kahlaya's room she remembered.

"Wait!" Bakura stopped and looked at her. "I need to get my things!"

Tarik snorted impatiently and Bakura sighed deeply. "Hurry."

Nodding, Kahlaya ran into the room and quickly gathered up her things. It didn't take her long to grab her clothes, some of the soaps and the hair brush. She was soon back in the hallway and they were moving again. There were stairs at the other end of the hallway that led out into the street. They hurried down them and outside. It was sunset and the streets were dim. Bakura led them down a side alley and Kahlaya was glad to see four of their horses there.

Bakura made an annoyed sound and looked at Tarik. "Where's your horse?"

Tarik shrugged, still laughing. Bakura gave him a murderous glare. "Take mine, you fool. I'll ride with Kahlaya."

Bakura untied Kanika's reins and jumped onto her back. He looked at Kahlaya who gave him an uncertain expression.

"Get on," he ordered. He held out his hand and she gratefully took it. He helped pull her onto Kanika's back and Kahlaya laid her clothes across her lap, between her and Bakura so that they wouldn't fall off.

Bakura kicked at Kanika's ribs and they started down the streets. Kahlaya threw her arms around Bakura's waist and held on tightly. They were only trotting, but Kahlaya was still nervous about falling off.

"What exactly did Tarik do?" she asked Bakura.

"I don't know what he did, but he alerted the soldiers' attention." Just as he finished talking, a duo of soldiers on horseback came around the corner in front of them.

"Oh great." Bakura muttered and he veered Kanika down a side street.

One of the soldiers pointed down the street toward them and then they both kicked at their horses, coming at the group.

Bakura ushered Kanika and they broke into a gallop. Kahlaya held onto him more tightly as they sped up, twisting and turning down streets. Kosey, Tarik and Dakarai stayed right behind them as they ran. Kahlaya risked a glance behind her and saw that three other soldiers had joined in on the chase. Now they had five of them to get off their tails.

People jumped out of their way as they ran passed, making sure not to get hit. Another guard appeared in front of them and Bakura had to take a sharp turn, which almost sent Kahlaya flying off the horse. They continued running at full speed and Kahlaya soon saw the exit. She smiled in relief as they headed for the opening. There were two guards standing next to the exit and, when they saw the oncoming riders, pointed their spears in a manner that would make it impossible to get out without getting stabbed.

Teeth clenched, Kahlaya raised a hand toward the guards. A sphere of her purple and blue aura formed in her palm and she sent it flying at one of the soldiers. It hit him square in the chest and he tumbled backwards off his horse. Kahlaya made another ball and knocked the other guard off as well. She was surprised at her aim, but wasn't complaining.

They shot through the exit and out into the open desert. The soldiers were still close behind them. Dakarai, Kosey and Tarik galloped up to run next to them instead of behind them. Kanika was getting tired; Kahlaya could feel her energy draining. Putting both of her hands together and just hanging onto the horse with her legs, Kahlaya created a large sphere between her hands and shot it back at the soldiers. It was a blind shot and hit the ground in front of them, but two of the horses startled at the explosion and reared, dumping off their riders.

Kahlaya made another sphere and flung it at them, this time somewhat knowing where she wanted it to go. The sphere collided with its target and they lost another pursuer. Keeping up her aura assault, they soon had no more people chasing them. The group continued running until the city was far behind them; finally they slowed to a walk.

Kahlaya was panting heavily, as were the horses, and her head pounded from her amount of energy use. She was practically laying on Bakura's back as they walked.

"Well, wasn't that something?" Kosey remarked, looking at Kahlaya.

Kahlaya wanted to shrug, but couldn't find the strength to.

Dakarai noticed how weary she was. "Are you alright?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes closing. "Fine."

The sun had fallen below the horizon and the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. Bright moonlight covered the land. Night had come quickly.

Tarik snorted and trotted ahead, angry that Kahlaya had had to save them. Bakura sped up Kanika and trotted beside Tarik.

"Why are you such an idiot?" Bakura demanded.

Kahlaya kept her face pointed away from Tarik and listened intently to their conversation. She could feel Bakura's hot anger in his aura.

"Why are you so soft?" Tarik replied hotly.

"I'm not soft. But I don't go off to get a bunch of soldiers to chase after me just to see if I can outrun them."

"Not soft?" Tarik laughed. "You've got that wolf on your mind all the time. It's obvious! You've changed completely since she got here."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You know what I mean, Bakura. You actually care about her. I'd go so far as to say you're _in love_. Love is for wimps. Emotions are for wimps. And you have just become King of the Wimps."

"Say one more thing like that and I'll kill you."

Tarik laughed again. "I'm not scared of you, Love King."

Bakura's body racked with laughter. His head flung back and he laughed like crazy. The smirk left Tarik's face and he looked at Bakura like he was insane.

Bakura finally stopped laughing and looked at Tarik. "Now I remember why I didn't kill you back then. You're bold. A little too bold. And much too quick to jump to conclusions. I won't kill you. But I won't jump in to save you if anyone else attempts the task."

Kahlaya smiled at his words. He knew she was listening and he knew that she hated Tarik. Perfect.

* * *

><p>When they made it to the top of the sand dune overlooking the temple, it was passed midnight. Kahlaya had dozed in and out of sleep while they rode, leaning against Bakura for support. The group halted and Kahlaya was jerked awake from the stop. Peering around Bakura, she saw that there was company at the hideout.<p>

Four people stood outside the entrance and multiple riders were patrolling the area. There had to be more inside.

"Dark Destroyers," Dakarai murmured, fear in his voice.

Bakura twisted around to look at Kahlaya. She met his gaze evenly.

"Can you use your aura?"

Kahlaya debated the amount of energy she had left and decided that she needed to at least try to help. She nodded, face set in determination.

Kahlaya calculated the distance between her and the Destroyers. "But I can't reach that far."

"That's fine. We'll get in closer."

"We should take out the patrols first," Kosey said, looking down at the temple, eyes narrowed.

Bakura nodded. "We can get rid of them while Kahlaya gets in closer to take out the entrance guards." He looked at Tarik. "Don't try anything stupid."

Tarik growled and looked away.

"There are four riders. Each one of us can rush at them and take them down and Kahlaya can run in and blast the entrance guards. Then we'll all go in and handle that."

Everyone nodded and then they split off in different directions to position themselves across from the riders. Kahlaya stayed with Bakura.

Without looking at her, he said: "After we get down there, you'll need to get off the horse as fast as you can and attack the guards."

"Okay," she answered.

Bakura walked Kanika farther to the left so that they were directly across from one of the patrollers. His gaze swept around the desert, checking to see the positions of the others. Kahlaya was surprised that, despite the darkness of the night, she could see perfectly. She decided that it was her wolf eyes. The other three were distanced around the sand dunes, waiting in shadows.

When Bakura saw their positions, he suddenly kicked Kanika's ribs and they shot down the dune, toward the rider. He turned to them in surprise and raised his sword. Kahlaya shot a sphere at him and he toppled off his horse, yelling in shock. The horse ran off into the desert. Kanika skidded to a halt and Kahlaya jumped off.

"I could have handled that," Bakura said gruffly.

Kahlaya smiled. "Yeah, but my way was faster."

"You don't need to waste energy."

Kahlaya had felt her decrease in energy, but she was high on adrenaline and didn't care. She wasn't going to run out any time soon.

"I'm fine." Kahlaya slunk into the shadows and swiftly made it to the entrance. The guards must have been deaf if they hadn't heard the yell, but, apparently, they were considering that they were still standing there. Raising her hand, Kahlaya fired off four spheres of aura in quick succession, each one colliding with its target.

The four guards were hit squarely and they all crumpled to the ground from the force of the aura. Smiling, Kahlaya ran to the exit. The men were still alive, only unconscious. Kahlaya wasn't really planning on killing anyone unless absolutely necessary.

She stood by the entrance, waiting for Bakura and the other thieves to show up. She didn't need to wait long before they rode over and dismounted.

"How many are inside?" Bakura asked.

She looked at him, puzzled. "How should I know?"

"You said your aura can let you see things beyond your eyes. Tell me how many are inside."

Okpara had told her that she could focus her aura and use it to scout ahead to farther locations, seeing everything in a sort of colourful haze. Closing her eyes, Kahlaya tried to push her aura out, to show her the hallways and rooms of the temple. She didn't see anything, just the darkness of her eyelids.

'_Focus,'_ she told herself. She pushed her aura through her mind showing her the path. There was a bright flash in her mind's eye, and then she saw everything, even though her eyes remained closed. She was still facing Bakura and she could see him, but he was a vibrant blue. The others were also the colour of their respective auras. The sands had become a faded blue hue as well as the rest of the things around her. Everything was outlined with the same light blue. She turned to the temple and looked down the hallway. Kahlaya found that she could push her aura out and go down the hallways, like she herself was walking and looking at all of it, but everything was just a faded outline.

In the main room, there were ten men, all just walking around. Farther down the hallways, there were a couple of other people walking around. No one was in any rooms, just outside. They seemed to be relying on their numbers and not worrying about surprise by hiding.

Kahlaya opened her eyes and everything returned to normal.

"There are a dozen."

"Same as last time," Kosey remarked. "We have less and we barely escaped during our last fight."

"Yeah, but, last time, I wasn't here in my human form," Kahlaya pointed out.

Tarik snorted. "Like we need your help."

Kahlaya's eyes narrowed. "From where I'm standing, you do."

"Would you both shut up," Bakura growled, earning a scowl from Kahlaya. "Where are they?"

"There are ten in the main room and two walking around the hallways."

He debated what to do, several possibilities running through his mind. What was the best possible way to eliminate the intruders? They were greatly outnumbered and so Bakura had to come up with a plan that would result in not having the others or himself killed. Or maybe they could just storm the place, fight them and hope to come out on top.

Finally making a decision, he said: "Dakarai and Kosey will go around back and take out the two in the hallways by going through the window. After they do that, the rest of us will go in at their signal and we attack them from both sides." He looked at Kahlaya. "I'd rather you not fight. If any of them escape, they'll just run back to their little hideout and tell Odji that a Divine Guardian is also here."

"Then they'd send a whole battalion," Dakarai said in his quiet voice.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Kahlaya asked, somewhat aggravated that she couldn't help in the fight.

He considered for a second. "Just stay out here with Sanura. If anyone does try to run, make sure they don't get far. If we do need you, I'll call for you."

Kahlaya nodded and folded her arms. She supposed that it was better than nothing. Bakura's eyes travelled to Kosey and Dakarai and they both split off, each going one way around the temple, their swords in hand. She was glad that Bakura hadn't gone instead of Kosey or Dakarai. Being just near Tarik gave her mixed emotions of nervousness and rage, but, with him there, she felt better.

They all stood there. Tarik and Bakura had their swords out and were ready to run in at Kosey's signal. Sanura stood farther behind, just staring at the ground with a blank expression. Kahlaya stood next to Bakura, hoping that he would be alright. She didn't doubt his fighting skills, she just didn't underestimate the enemy's numbers.

After waiting not too long, there was a loud yell from inside. Bakura and Tarik both came to life at the sound and ran into the temple, swords raised. There was more yelling inside and Kahlaya could distinctly hear the sound of steel hitting steel.

Closing her eyes, Kahlaya focused her aura. A path illuminated in front of her, showing her the inside of the temple in its aura-outline. She could see the different aura's of all the people fighting. Already, there were several bodies strewn across the floor. Kahlaya sighed when she saw that none were the thieves of this hideout. It was easy to find Bakura's aura. It radiated different emotions. Kahlaya hadn't realized how many emotions he portrayed.

There was anger obviously, as well as loyalty, sadness and... compassion. She could almost call it love. Kahlaya couldn't help but smile at him. He wouldn't be able to hide his emotions from her.

Her mind focused away from his aura and back to reality, to the battle. Bakura was holding his own against three opponents. He seemed undamaged so far, which relieved Kahlaya. She just hoped he'd be able to stay that way.

Expertly, Bakura dodged every slash his opponents made and struck out with his own blade. Soon, there were only two opponents left. Out of the corner of her vision, Kahlaya saw someone bolt. Two someones, actually. A duo of the Dark Destroyers were running for the exit.

Opening her eyes, Kahlaya moved to the middle of the entranceway and saw them coming, full charge. When they saw her, they didn't slow down, but kept going, looking somewhat annoyed.

"Out of the way, girl!" one yelled.

"Unless you want us to make you get out of the way!" the other added.

Kahlaya smirked. Yeah, right. Raising a hand, she fired off two aura forces and they flew backward, farther into the entrance hall. Making sure no one would escape was easy.

There was a shuffling sound behind her and Kahlaya spun around to see two of the entrance guards running toward some unmanned horses. Cursing silently, Kahlaya threw some spheres of aura at them, but couldn't hit her targets. They zigzagged across the sand, making sure to throw off her aim. They quickly jumped onto the horses and began running. Kahlaya growled and launched more aura at them, but they were moving too quickly, they couldn't be hit. Turning around, Kahlaya ran into the temple, jumping over the unmoving bodies of the two runners.

The main room was dimly lit, but the fighting was almost over. Dark Destroyers lay scattered all over the floor. Bakura cut down another as she lifted her gaze to the still fighting men and Dakarai skillfully defeated the last one with a swipe of his sword. From the way he fought, Kahlaya hoped that she never had to fight against him.

Bakura drew out of his fighting posture and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Panting, he turned and saw Kahlaya. She did a half-smile and he walked toward her, frowning. She looked at the ground as he approached. She really didn't want to tell him that some of them got away.

"There are two unconscious in the hallway and two more outside," she stated, pointing toward the entrance as she did.

He stopped and looked down the hallway. "Didn't want to kill them yourself?"

She shrugged, still not looking at him.

He frowned more deeply and his eyebrows creased. "Weren't there four guards at the entrance?"

She nodded slowly and looked up. His eyes had narrowed and he looked somewhat panicked with traces of disappointment.

"I tried to stop them," she explained. "I was distracted when the two in the hall came running. When I turned around, they were gone. They were running fast, and dodging my attacks. As soon as they reached the horses, they were gone."

Bakura's eyes closed and he took a deep breath, when he opened them, he smiled weakly. "You tried." Was all he said.

Kahlaya frowned. She had expected anger or... or... something. That was the last response she would have expected from Bakura, King of Thieves.

Dakarai and the others were busy dragging bodies around to notice Bakura's soft reaction.

"Not quite what I was expecting," she confessed.

He sighed. "I know."

Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him closely, her face pressed against his collar bone. He hugged her, too, but only for a few seconds before letting his arms drop. She did as well and stepped back.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quietly.

He laughed slightly. "You say that too much."

She smiled and then remembered Sanura.

"We should probably get Sanura to her room, don't you think? She's probably still just standing outside."

And she was. Sanura was still in the same place she had been when Kahlaya had left her, still staring at the ground. She was taken back to her room and the door was locked tightly.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya then found herself in her own room, lying on her back on her bed. It was late at night, or early in the morning, and the sun would soon rise. Kahlaya didn't know if she could sleep. She was a jumble of nerves from the fight and also from the knowing that Odji would soon know her whereabouts. He probably wouldn't know that she was a Divine Guardian, they hadn't seen her mark, but they would know that she was someone powerful and they'd pass on the message to Odji. He'd send an army.<p>

She sighed and rolled onto her side, facing into the room. Bakura had calmed his reaction for her sake, but she knew he was probably angry and quite worried. Then there was the fact of Kosey. He had seemed beyond worried when they had been in the city. Kahlaya wished she knew what was bothering him.

Looking into her dark room, Kahlaya noticed her new clothing lying over the back of her chair. She rolled out of bed, onto her feet, and walked over to the clothing. She didn't know when someone had brought them in, but she was glad they had. Putting a hand in her pocket, Kahlaya realized that she had stuffed the stolen brush and soaps into it. Taking them out, she set them on the table and changed into the cream coloured nightgown. It fit her perfectly and she crawled back into bed, pulling the covers over herself.

There was so much to worry about, Kahlaya would be surprised if she could close her eyes at all, let alone sleep. However, the drowsiness of her body and mind were too much to contend with. Sleep would find her and when it did, it would bring a dark nightmare.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't really have anything to say today... :P<strong>

**Review!**

**-WhiteTiger**

**Oh! I would like to point out that, yes, I changed my name and the name of this story for... reasons. :P Let's just say I didn't want someone to find it. Haha. :P**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for taking so long to update! This week has been crazy busy with school work and I've been distracted by a certain boy band by the name of One Direction. :P If you don't know who they are, I suggest you look up the song "What Makes You Beautiful" or "One Thing" on YouTube. They are absolutely amazing. **

**Anyway, thank you to all reviewers! I really appreciate all the reviews I get! :)**

**Oh and to **Dakota Ishtar**, I have some nosy friends who I don't want reading this. :P**

Chapter 12

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the window when Kahlaya woke. She wasn't sure if it had been the sun that woke her or her nightmare. She decided to go with the latter because she was shaking and breathing heavily.

Rising from the bed, she looked out of the window. It was well into the afternoon. There was some food and water on the table, so Kahlaya sat down and ate. She hadn't realized how hungry she was and the food was soon gone.

After drinking the last drop of water, Kahlaya changed into her black dress and brushed her tangled hair. When she was done, she sat on the edge of her bed.

Bakura was mad. She knew that much. Kahlaya had had one job and she had failed. He had disguised his anger the night before, but she could sense it. He was right to feel that way.

She growled softly, angry at herself. As the anger and disappointment in her rose, Kahlaya felt something stir within her. There was a sudden wrench in her gut. She knew exactly what it was: she was about to shift.

Just as she shifted, Kahlaya managed to throw her dress onto the chair. It landed as she fell onto paws.

Shaking out her fur, Kahlaya walked to the door. Great. She couldn't get out. Growling, she turned around and paced the room.

How had she shifted? Why? It was nowhere near the full moon. That had passed. Plus, it was the afternoon. No moon in sight. Kahlaya was worried. She had never changed during the day before. That was twice now that she's shifted without the moonlight. With no explanation. Of course, nothing in her life ever had much of an explanation.

Kahlaya sat down on her haunches and huffed loudly. Being a wolf wasn't so bad. She liked it more now that she kept her human mind. The only thing was: she didn't _want_ to be a wolf right now. She wished she could control it. Kahlaya had a pretty good understanding of her aura powers. Now all she needed to do was tame the beast.

Annoyed that she couldn't get out of the room, Kahlaya rose to her feet and, inwardly smirking, tilted her head back. The wolf's voice rose in her chest and escaped. The sound echoed off the walls and bounced back to her. The howl spilled out of the window.

She only sang for half a minute and then lowered her head and sunk to the floor watching the door and straining her ears with her head on her paws. Sure enough, there were soon footsteps coming from down the hall, heading to her room. The door slowly creaked open and Bakura looked into the room. His eyes started at the bed, and then fell to her on the floor. His eyebrows creased as he stepped inside. Folding his arms, he frowned and looked down at her. She just watched him without moving.

"I thought you didn't howl," he said, though his expression didn't change.

Kahlaya did a wolf smile. "_Only when I'm bored."_

"Why did you change?"

She sighed. "_I don't know."_

He came into the room and sat down on the wooden chair. Kahlaya couldn't see him from her position, but she didn't bother moving.

"_I really am sorry," _she told him quietly.

He sighed in exasperation. "I know."

Kahlaya lifted her head and twisted her neck to look at him. "_When do you think they'll come?"_

"They were on horseback and Odji will be more than pleased to hear that you are here as well. They won't take long. And, this time, we won't win."

She got up and went to the window. Her gaze focused outside she said, "_Let's just leave, then."_

"That's what we were planning. But it won't be that easy. I'm known all over. You are too. It'll be hard to go anywhere."

Kahlaya whined under her breath then turned and rested her head on Bakura's knees. He didn't move for a while, just sat stone still before raising a hand and placing it reassuringly on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his hand for second before coming back to reality, wishing her life weren't so complicated. Opening her eyes, Kahlaya looked up into Bakura's face. He was watching her with a soft expression.

"_I'm... afraid,"_ she whispered into his mind.

His eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't be."

She laughed without humor. "_I doubt that if I'm taken by the Dark Destroyers that I'll get off quite as easily as I did here."_

He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you fall for all of your captors."

Kahlaya peered at him from under her eyelashes. "_But will they fall for me?"_

He smiled. "I don't think Odji could fall for anyone. Of course, I thought the same about myself."

Kahlaya felt a sudden surge of compassion for him. She wanted, more than anything at that moment, to hold his hand, kiss his cheek. She wanted to be human. His emotions seemed to never stay hidden when he was with her. He was comfortable talking about anything. Kahlaya loved the trust he had in her.

Her stomach tingled. She quickly lifted her head, his hand falling away as she did. He looked at her with mixed expressions of curiosity and annoyance. The tingle became a shaking and she backed away from Bakura, hitting the bed.

"_Get out," _she said.

Bakura rose to his feet.

"_I'm shifting! Get out now!"_

He quickly left the room and closed the door. As soon as the door was shut, she became human. It was a quick and easy shift and Kahlaya wasn't even out of breath or in pain. Standing, she took her black dress and threw it on then went to the door. Bakura was standing just outside.

"That didn't take long," he stated.

She nodded. "It's pretty easy now."

"Why are you shifting so much?"

"I wish I knew."

He walked back in and sat on the bed. Kahlaya shut the door and sat next to him. She thought of something. If she was going to fight the Dark Destroyers, she'd need her daggers.

"Where are my daggers?" she asked. "They were taken when I first... arrived. I'd really like them back." She paused. "They were a gift from Okpara."

He nodded. "I've seen them. Tarik took them. I'll get them back for you."

"Thanks." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Comfortable shoulder?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Mmhm."

Kahlaya tilted her head to look up at his face. His gaze moved down to her, his hair brushing her face. She stretched her neck up toward him as he leaned down. Her eyes closed when their lips collided. It was gentle, much like their first kiss, but they both gained confidence and it became more real. One of Kahlaya's legs folded onto the bed, so that her body turned toward him. His arms went around her, one behind her head, his fingers burying themselves in her hair and the other on the small of her back, bringing her closer. Kahlaya put one arm around his shoulders and into his hair. The other was folded between them, her hand resting on his chest. His heartbeat pulsed against her palm, beating rapidly. Hers pounded in her chest, threatening to break free of her rib cage. The kiss was long, much longer than their first one, but, when they broke apart, Kahlaya found herself feeling the same way she had the first time: wishing it had lasted longer.

They leaned a little away from each other, but not so far as to not feel each other's breath on their faces. Their arms remained in the same spots. Kahlaya smiled and opened her eyes. Bakura's violet gaze bore into her own, a smile forming on his lips. She loved his smile. More than the stars in the night sky or the rising sun.

She didn't know what to say. What were you supposed to say after something like that? Not caring much for the silence, Kahlaya said the only thing that was on her mind.

"I love you."

He closed his eyes for a moment as if to let her words sink in. When he reopened them, she was surprised by the burning fire in them. "I love you as well."

Kahlaya smiled. She was glad to hear him say it. She had felt the emotion in his aura and now that he had admitted it, she knew it was true. Her fist closed around the fabric of his tunic and she leaned forward partially, her eyes closing.

The tingling returned to her stomach. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up, panicked. She tried to push it away with as much force as she could. It wouldn't work. The wolf would soon come out.

"You have to get out," she told him through clenched teeth. "I'd rather not rip this dress."

Nodding, he got to his feet and left, without a word, closing the door behind him.

Kahlaya paced, trying to keep the animal down. She concentrated as much as she could on it, feeling the beast rise. It was somewhat working, otherwise, she would have already shifted. Without knowing what was causing it, she couldn't focus on fixing the problem. All she could do was push down the wolf with as much strength as she had.

She began shaking and knew that she was losing the fight. Quickly, she pulled the dress over her head and dropped it over the back of the chair. Her bones and muscles morphed into their wolf form. It was just as quick as her last shift and not painful.

Shaking out her pelt, Kahlaya went to the door and hit it twice with the back of her paw.

"_I'm decent,"_ she told him before backing away from the door and sitting down.

Bakura came into the room and stood by the door, eyes on Kahlaya.

"_I'm getting really freaked out by this,"_ she said.

He nodded. "It is strange."

"_I just want to know why it's happening. It's never happened so much in so little time before. It's never happened without the full moon."_

He frowned, thoughtful, then walked into the room and flopped down on the bed, his ankles crossed and his arms folded behind his head. Kahlaya huffed and rolled her eyes at his boldness.

"Maybe you're just too overwhelmed by me." He gave her a sideways look.

She scowled. "_I'm being serious."_

"So am I."

She considered his words. She was shifting a lot more when she was around him, but he couldn't be the cause. If he was, she would have shifted long before this.

"_What would you have to do with it, though_?"

He thought for a second, and then shrugged. "Emotions."

Kahlaya watched him curiously. It was a good assumption. She had recently been having an overload of emotions. That could explain things. That afternoon, she had been having multiple swings of varying emotions. Each time her emotion got too high, she shifted.

She smirked. "_You are smarter than you look."_

He returned the smirk. "Glad I could help."

If it was emotions, all she had to do was keep them in check. She'd put his theory to the test.

"_I need to be feeling a strong emotion." _Getting to her feet, Kahlaya walked closer to him until her nose was right in his face. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She gazed at him from under her eyebrows, her eyes going wide. She laid her ears back on her head. His face broke into a smile at her puppy-wolf face.

He sighed. "How am I supposed to help with that?"

Kahlaya's ears flipped back up. "_You said you were the one_ overwhelming_ me."_

His smile widened. "True." He propped himself onto his elbows. "What emotion are you going for?"

She lifted her head and shrugged. "_I think anger would be easiest."_

He laughed slightly and lay back down. "Tarik. Sanura. The Pharaoh. Myself. You have plenty of reasons to be angry."

Her head tilted to the side. "_You? Why would I be mad at you?"_

Bakura stared at the ceiling. "I got you into all this mess. There's no reason for you not to be."

"_There are a lot of reasons for me not to be." _Kahlaya studied his face. "_More than I could count. I'm not angry with you. And, for the record, this is all my fault. I followed Sanura here. I started everything."_

"Perhaps, but who took her in the first place?" When she was silent, he continued. "Me. I did. I took my own sister for my own selfish needs."

Kahlaya's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She stepped away from him. "_What? She's your _sister_?" _

"Yes." He glanced at her for a second. "I thought you'd have figured it out by now."

Her eyes narrowed and she closed her mouth. How had she missed it? It was obvious now that he said it. They were somewhat alike. Sanura did have a lot of Bakura qualities to her. It explained how he knew what she was and how he knew where she was. Plus, their names. Almost identical.

She blinked a few times and looked at him, her surprise still rising. "_A lot is explained by that."_

"Is it?"

"_You never told me."_

"Why would you need to know?"

She shook her head. "_I don't know. It just would have been nice to have known."_

He smirked and looked at her. "Are you mad at me now?"

For some reason, the question and the way he asked it created a burning anger in her stomach.

"_Yeah, I kind of am_."

He smirked again and looked back at the ceiling. That action, too, made her angry. How could someone go from saying they loved her to acting so terribly she wanted to hit him. Or bite him, since that was all she could do as a wolf.

Kahlaya's lip curled and she growled. He laughed softly at her reaction, making her growl louder. Anger boiled in her and travelled through her veins. Her body started to shake and Bakura rolled onto his side, looking away from her. Eyes narrowed, Kahlaya realized what he was doing. Getting closer to the chair and her clothes, Kahlaya soon shifted back into a human and she pulled her dress over her head.

"Not bad," she said as he rolled back onto his back.

"It looks like my theory was correct," he said, smirking.

She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"So… Sanura?" she asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

His eyes met hers for a second before he looked away, to the ceiling.

"She lived in the village with my family and I. I always knew there was something dark about her, but then I wasn't sure what it was. After the soldiers destroyed my village, she and I fled. I knew I couldn't take care of a two year old, so I left her with a family. Not the same one that lived near you. I don't know how she managed to end up with them. A few months ago, I saw her in the village and when I felt the evil about her, it finally dawned on me that she was a Shadow Walker. I thought I should get her out of there, figure out what she was planning and try to convince her to use her powers for me."

"And how's that working out for you?"

He smiled slightly. "Not exactly as I had planned."

They sat without thinking for a while, each just lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Kahlaya got tired of the silence.

She smiled and took his elbow in her hand, pulling his arm. He looked at her curiously.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go practice fighting or aura target practice or go for a walk or... something! We cannot just sit in here."

Bakura raised an eyebrow and let her pull him to his feet.

"I'll get you your daggers," he told her.

She beamed. "Great! I'll wait outside."

They both left the room, Kahlaya running and Bakura walking. Watching her go, he wondered how he had ever gotten into this situation.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya found herself at the mercy of Bakura's sword, again. It was sunset and they had been practicing for little over an hour. Bakura had won three times. Kahlaya was improving though. He was showing her a few of his manoeuvres and she caught on easily. They usually fought longer and she gained the advantage sometimes and had almost beaten him, only to have him pull off another skilful trick and turn the tables.<p>

Panting, Kahlaya fell to her knees on the sand. "I'm never going to be able to beat you."

He smiled warmly down at her. "I know."

"Way to encourage me." She rose to her feet and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Have you taught Dakarai fighting as well?"

He nodded. "Since I met him."

"I saw how similar you two fight."

Taking his hand, Kahlaya ran toward the oasis.

"Now what?"

"Hello? We're all sweaty. That calls for some washing off," she smiled and kept running.

His eyebrows pulled together. Somehow, the sound of that made him nervous.

They quickly reached the oasis. Kahlaya stopped beside the washing pool and let go of his hand.

"Okay," she said. "You first."

"Wha-" he didn't have time to finish before Kahlaya pushed him into the water.

Bakura hit the water with a large splash and the water engulfed him. Laughing, Kahlaya jumped in after him. She landed just as his head came out of the water and she splashed him right in the face.

He smirked and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "That was unnecessary."

She laughed again and put her arms around his neck. "Maybe, but at least you're clean now."

Scowling he replied, "And soaking wet."

She smiled. "An unfortunate side effect."

She kissed his lips quickly and then glided away from him. He turned away and swam to the edge then pulled himself out of the water. Kahlaya swam over to where he was and looked up at him.

"You're no fun," she muttered, pouting.

He ran his hands through his hair and looked at her. "I never said I was."

She heaved herself out of the pool and wrung out her hair, then her dress. Walking closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, her head resting on his wet chest. His arms went around her and he looked down at her while she tilted her head to look at him.

"That's fine by me," she murmured.

"It seems like it has to be."

She laughed. "I guess so." Her laugh disappeared and she moved her gaze away from his face. "What are we going to do? The Dark Destroyers are coming."

"So I've heard," he sighed. "There isn't much we can do. Fight. Sanura might help, considering her options. And then there's you. You could tip the scales."

Kahlaya smiled half heartedly. "It's a long shot."

"I know."

Kahlaya yawned. The sun had disappeared and shadows were falling. She didn't know why she was so tired. They hadn't practiced long, but she had also shifted a lot during the afternoon. It must have taken a lot out of her.

"Alright," he murmured, taking her hand. "Let's go."

They walked, hand in hand, back to the temple.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know when I'll update again; I have another busy week. But I'll try to make it faster than this one was.<strong>

**And that's how Bakura had known so much about Sanura. The name thing had not been intentional. (Remember, this wasn't supposed to be a fanfic with Bakura. There had originally been a girl named Sanura. :P )**

**Review! Please! :)**

**-WhiteTiger**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you very much for reviewing!  
><strong>

**To **Shadowclanwarrior**: Atem is more of a secondary character in the second half of this story. But he's coming in the next chapter.**

Chapter 13

The shaking of the entire temple woke Kahlaya. She was next to Bakura, her cheek resting on his chest and his arms around her. She raised her head, the movement waking him. Kahlaya jumped out of bed and expertly put on her two piece outfit without removing her nightgown until she was done and without revealing anything. She grabbed her daggers from the table and tossed Bakura's sword to him. He easily caught it as he leapt off the bed. They exchanged glances, each knowing what was happening. Running from the room, they quickly made their way to the entrance.

Tarik, Dakarai and Kosey were all in the main room, armed and looking ready to fight.

"How many?" Bakura asked as he and Kahlaya stopped next to the others.

Kahlaya closed her eyes and expanded her aura vision. She swept out into the desert. The amount of people coming nearly made her knees falter. There were at least fifty of them, all on horseback and coming quickly. They were hopeless.

Opening her eyes, her panicked expression met Bakura's eyes. "At least fifty."

Kosey looked worried. "They move quick."

Bakura nodded. "Odji isn't one to wait, is he?"

"Apparently not," Dakarai muttered.

"Should we fight them inside or out?" Kosey asked.

Bakura didn't even need to think. "Inside. They will have less people to attack us with at a time."

"They're almost here," Kahlaya said.

Dakarai and Bakura went to the entrance, one on each side. Kosey and Tarik split off and each went down a hallway. Not really sure where to go, Kahlaya just stood up next to the statue, in the shadow of the wolf, out of sight.

Using her aura, she watched the oncoming army approach. The first dozen of men dismounted their horses and ran toward the temple. Kahlaya readied herself. They could win. She just needed to keep her head in it and focus. She watched the auras of the people as they ran down the entrance hallway. When they made it to the main room, they looked around, wondering where their opponents were.

Bakura and Dakarai jumped at the men and took down several of them before they could even flinch. More poured into the room, so Kahlaya created a sphere and sent it barrelling toward them. She didn't watch if they hit anyone, but sent of a multitude of aura, making sure she didn't hit Bakura or Dakarai.

Kosey and Tarik rushed into the fight then, taking out a few of them while their defenses went down.

Kahlaya fired off more aura, hitting more of the opposition. It seemed that every time she took one down, five more took his place. This was not going well. They were only a few minutes into the fighting and already she could tell the thieves were getting tired. The Dark Destroyers had a fresh bunch of fighters to take the place of the fallen ones while Bakura and the others only had themselves. Kahlaya could feel her energy draining quickly; she had used a lot of it from using her aura so much.

Her head became fuzzy from using her aura to both attack and to see everything. She needed to press a hand against the wall to steady herself. She thought she was going to pass out, when the ground shook again. What if more Dark Destroyers were on their way? Bakura and the others wouldn't stand a chance.

Pushing her aura, Kahlaya saw that it wasn't Dark Destroyers that was the cause of the trembling. It was an army of royal soldiers. They all rode magnificent horses and had exquisite weaponry. How had they found the temple? Though, at the moment, Kahlaya was glad to see them. Hopefully, they could help.

Focusing back on the fight in front of her, Kahlaya checked the condition of the fighters on her side. Bakura and Dakarai seemed to be doing alright. Kosey had a gash on his arm and his leg. Tarik had a slash across his chest and abdomen, but they all looked okay, they were just getting tired.

She threw some more spheres into the fray and then watched the soldiers outside. The first of them were battling the last of the Dark Destroyers. The soldiers seemed to have quite the advantage fighting-wise. Worry seized Kahlaya. When the soldiers got inside, they'd attack the thieves and they definitely couldn't fight them off as well as the Destroyers.

Some of the Dark Destroyers were beginning to panic and tried to run for the exit, only to meet a wall of soldiers. The royal guard made their way into the main room and fought the Destroyers. Soon, there were none left standing.

Soldiers piled into the room, surrounding the thieves on all sides. Bakura looked around angrily, his sword raised. A soldier stepped through the circle of guards. The commander. His eyes swiveled around the room before settling on a steaming Bakura.

"If it isn't the King of Thieves," the commander said in a booming voice that echoed around the room. "Where is she?"

Bakura composed his face into a smirk. He folded his arms, his sword still in hand. "Ah, Commander, no formal greetings I see. It seems as though you've lost your politeness."

"Unless you want me to cut your murderous throat and tear this temple apart looking for her, I suggest you give up and tell us," the commander sneered.

Kahlaya debated sending spheres at them, but decided against it. That would more than likely start a whole other battle and the thieves would lose.

"What makes you think I know what you're talking about?"

The commander laughed. "We know she's here. We have a reliable source."

Bakura's body went rigid, as did Kosey's. Kahlaya gasped inwardly. Someone had told them? Who? She immediately thought of Tarik, but then thought differently. Maybe it was Kosey. That would explain his nervousness when they had been in the city. It also explained his reaction now.

The commander laughed again. "You don't know who it is? Well, I'm not going to tell you that, now am I? But I should say: you should be more careful of who you choose to capture, Thief King."

Bakura's aura suddenly flared with rage. He was so angry that Kahlaya pushed herself back farther into the shadows.

The commander was still laughing when he waved a hand. "Seize them."

All of the soldiers immediately sprang forward. Three or four jumped onto each thief, removing their weapons and tying their hands with rope.

Kahlaya panicked. What was she supposed to do? There was no hope of escaping and, if there were, Bakura was captured so what did it matter? Nervously, she shuffled forward, out of the shadows. No one even saw her at first. They were all intent on watching the capture of Bakura. When one soldier's gaze did fall on her, all the other's seemed to know where to look too. All eyes moved to Kahlaya and she wanted more than anything at that moment, to sink back into the shadows and disappear.

The commander walked through the soldiers and up to Kahlaya, smiling. When he reached her, he dropped onto one knee, his left foot forward, his left arm over his leg and the right placed flatly on the floor. Kahlaya had never had someone bow to her before, so she just stood there, watching him.

"Divine Guardian Kahlaya," he began in a respectful tone. "I am so pleased we have found you. Please forgive us for taking so long. The Pharaoh and his son have been quite worried. As has your master, Okpara."

Kahlaya looked at him and didn't know what to say. Her eyes travelled to Bakura. He was facing away from her, but he turned around and met her eyes. There was such anger and hatred burning in them. Kahlaya was so shocked to see that in his violet eyes, but she couldn't pull her gaze away from him.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but it was more than a few minutes. The soldiers all began to feel awkward as did the commander, sill kneeling on the floor. He rose to his feet, obscuring Kahlaya's view of Bakura so their trance broke. Her eyes focused on the commander.

"Is the girl here?" he asked, somewhat cautious.

She nodded. "Yes, she's in a room, down that hall." She pointed down the correct hallway.

The commander looked to two soldiers and pointed down the corridor. They instantly took off.

"We should leave," he stated. "Everyone will be so glad to hear you are alright."

She half smiled. It wasn't her. Kahlaya knew exactly what Bakura thought, but it wasn't true. She hadn't told the soldiers. She had not betrayed him.

She could feel his burning gaze on her as they began filing out of the temple. Kahlaya didn't look at him as she walked, but kept her eyes on the ground.

"Do you have a horse here?" asked the commander.

She nodded. "Yes. He was taken from me when I got here. She indicated the stone stable. In there, the grey Appaloosa."

Bowing his head, the commander told a soldier to go get Shakir.

"We might as well take all of the horses," the commander bellowed. He scowled at the thieves. "They won't be needing them. Another party will come and take all the stolen objects back to the palace."

The soldiers nodded and a few went to the stable, to get all of the horses. The soldier who had gone to get Shakir returned. The horse was ready to ride, Kahlaya's purple saddle pad and her own bridle was on him. Other soldiers gathered the abandoned horses of the Dark Destroyers.

She took the reins from the soldier who bowed and went to mount his own horse. When all of the horses were tied and everyone was ready to go, they all headed out. Kahlaya rode at the front of the group, next to the commander. Bakura and the other thieves were bound by their hands and tied to the horses at the back. Kahlaya wished that the soldiers would at least let them ride the vacant horses; it was a long walk back to the city. Sanura had been brought out of the temple and was riding a horse alongside a soldier. She was just staring blankly in front of her.

They mostly rode in silence. A few of the soldiers talked amongst themselves, but, other than that, it was just the sound of the horses' steps in the sand and the breathing of each other.

Kahlaya felt terrible. She didn't like that she had to go back, but what she really didn't like was that Bakura thought she had betrayed him.

Leaning back in the saddle, she closed her eyes and let Shakir walk. He didn't need her guidance to know to stay with the group. Things would turn out okay. If she had any say in it, Kahlaya would make sure that Bakura learned the truth.

* * *

><p><strong>The spacing for the paragraphs got really screwy. Sorry about that. <strong>

**Okay, I think you know what to do by now... REVIEW please!**

**-WhiteTiger**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been busy, but now it's summer vacation so, hopefully, I can get more done! **

**Massive thank you to all reviewers!**

Chapter 14

They made it to the city just as the sun was rising in the sky. People watched, though most bowed, as the group rode though the city.

They scowled at the thieves and some even threw dirt or rocks at them. Kahlaya was tempted to say something, but she didn't. She couldn't show them she cared for the people who 'abducted' her.

As they went passed Okpara's house, Kahlaya frowned in confusion.

"Aren't I going back to the Spirit Master to finish my training?" she asked the commander.

He smiled at her. "We have orders to escort the Divine Guardian to the palace. The Spirit Master awaits your return there. As does Pharaoh Aknemkhanon and Prince Atem."

Kahlaya swallowed nervously. She was going to the palace to see the Pharaoh and the Prince. She just hoped she could conceal her anger and annoyance at them. Because she had only met them once and it had been a few years ago, she was wondering how much they had changed. The Prince had always seemed authoritive and confident even when he was younger. She wondered if he was the same way. She might just falter under his intense amethyst eyes that matched her own. His father, the Pharaoh, was much the same as him, but he seemed to be more joking than his son.

People continued to bow as they headed for the palace. Kahlaya tried to ignore it, but she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. She hadn't known that she was quite _that _important. They acted as if the Pharaoh himself was walking by. Her head was down and she stared at Shakir's neck, trying not to care.

An elderly woman broke through the crowds of people and ran up to Kahlaya. She fell into Shakir and seemed to need him for support. Kahlaya brought Shakir to a halt and looked down at the woman, her eyebrows raised. The woman had huge, wet, brown eyes and short, curled grey hair. The commander and the other soldiers stopped their horses. One soldier pointed a spear at the woman.

"Step away from the horse," warned the soldier.

The woman didn't listen. "Please, great Guardian," she said in a raspy voice. "There is darkness approaching. You went after that girl, did you not? You must help! You must vanquish the dark!"

Another soldier had dismounted his horse and was next to the woman. He yanked her, not gently, away from Shakir and Kahlaya.  
>"Vanquish the dark!" she screamed. "Do not let it prevail!"<p>

Kahlaya watched the soldier disappear into the crowd of people with the woman. Her words sent shivers down Kahlaya's spine.  
>The commander was smirking. "There are some people who aren't quite right. You just need to ignore them."<p>

Kahlaya nodded absently as they began walking again. Perhaps the woman had just been a little crazy and was mumbling nonsense. But what if she wasn't? Kahlaya didn't believe the woman was crazy, even if she wanted to. Her words had chilled Kahlaya's bones. The woman seemed like she had meant what she said, which made Kahlaya ponder what the meaning behind it was.

A darkness was coming? What did that mean? There was always a darkness in Egypt. People had darkness in them, some more than others and they always seemed to be trying something evil. The Pharaoh and his group of sacred guardians usually took care of them though. What did she have to do with it? It wasn't Kahlaya's job to vanquish the dark souls of people.

Kahlaya had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that they had made it to the palace.

It was just the same as it always was. Statues of lions leading the way to the large front gate, the towering wall around the palace reached to the sky. There were two obelisks on each side of the doors and four guards stood outside them. When they saw the approach of the soldiers, they hurriedly opened the doors wide. They rode through, the soldiers bowing to Kahlaya as they did.

They rode onto a pathway leading to more doors. Other guards were inside and they also bowed. Kahlaya felt awkward at their signs of respect.

When they reached the doors that lead to the inside of the palace, they dismounted their horses and a few guards took them away. The commander stayed next to Kahlaya while the other soldiers scattered in different directions to attend to their duties after giving slight bows. The only soldiers who stayed were the ones holding onto the ropes binding the thieves' wrists.

Kahlaya risked a glance at Bakura. He was just staring at the ground, though the aura he emanated was filled with such rage and hurt that Kahlaya felt a sting in her stomach and chest. She looked away from him, to the front doors.

Two guards opened the doors and Kahlaya and the commander walked through, into the marvelous palace.

The commander led her and the other soldiers through the palace, to the throne room. Kahlaya recognized the drapes with the eye of Horus outside the doors to the room.

Kahlaya's heart was pounding in her chest and she was full of nerves. There was a tingling growing in her stomach. Panicking, she tried to sort out her feelings, pushing the nervousness away and evening out her emotions. Now would be a bad time to shift.

The tingling stopped and Kahlaya sighed in relief. Taking a deep breath, she nodded to the commander who opened the doors.

They swung open to reveal the large throne room. A red carpet led to the stairs that led to the large gold chair. Seated in it was Pharaoh Aknemkhanon and next to him stood his son, Prince Atem. Six other people were lined on each side of the throne: the sacred guardians. There was one more person in the room and he was pacing back and forth in front of the stairs.

When Kahlaya walked into the room, the commander in tow as well as the soldiers with the thieves, all heads turned in their direction. Okpara stopped pacing and looked at her, relief flooding his features.

The commander walked in front of Kahlaya and made his way toward the assemble of people. She followed a little slower, her eyes not meeting the gaze of anyone else. The commander stopped at the base of the stairs and knelt down in a respectful bow.

"My king," he said, "We were successful in finding the Divine Guardian and in returning her to the city."

The Pharaoh laughed. "Yes, I see that. Well done. Thank you."

The commander rose and, with a dip of his head, walked behind Kahlaya to stand with the other soldiers. Now it was her turn.  
>She knelt down, same as the commander, and waited for them to speak. She didn't want to be first to break the silence.<br>"Rise, Kahlaya," the Pharaoh murmured.

Kahlaya rose to her feet and looked at the group. They were much more intimidating than she remembered. Her eyes found Okpara's. She was surprised to find them boiling with relief, disappointment and anger. Kahlaya then remembered that she had broken the rules and had left the city, resulting in her capture. Her eyes fell away from his.

"First of all," the Pharaoh said, "I just want to say that I am pleased that you are alright and unharmed. But, there is the issue of you leaving the city in the first place."

Kahlaya froze. She didn't regret making the decision to leave, that was for sure, but, of course, that didn't matter. What mattered was that it could have been hazardous to her health and safety.

"From what I understand, you went in search of Sanura, a young girl, and ended up at a thieves' hideout where you were also captured. Is this true?"

Kahlaya nodded. "Yes, it is true." She was surprised by how strong her voice sounded despite her nervousness.

"Why did you not return for help when you arrived there?"

She stared at the ground. "I feared that that would take too long, Your Majesty. I didn't want to waste time and I had believed that I could handle it alone."

The Pharaoh stared at her a long while. "That was foolish of you."

"I know."

"I hope that you will not disobey the rules of myself and of your master again."

"I won't."

He smiled. "Good. Now, Okpara, I believe you wanted to speak with her?"

Okpara nodded. Kahlaya lifted her gaze to him.

He sighed. "I am disappointed in you, Kahlaya."

She flinched. He could have at least spoken to her in private. Was it necessary to scold her in front of everyone?

"But," he smiled, "I am glad to see that you are safe. And now, it is time for you to remain here."

Kahlaya frowned, her eyebrows pulling over her eyes. "What?"

"You are going to continue your training with the Sacred Court of the Pharaoh. They are perfectly capable of teaching you."

Kahlaya looked to the Guardians. They all smiled at her. She moved her gaze back to Okpara. She felt sadness welling in her at the thought of not training with him any longer. It may not have been the best way to live, but he had always been there for her and he was her only family.

He stepped toward her and placed both hands on her shoulders. "You are ready." He smiled.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. "Thank you."

He returned the embrace. "No, thank you."

They separated and Okpara smiled warmly and proudly at her before turning toward the Pharaoh. He bowed deeply. "Farewell, my king."

"I cannot thank you enough, Okpara. I hope you have a good life and that we meet again."

Nodding, Okpara turned and left the room. Kahlaya watched as he disappeared around the corner before turning back to the royal group.

There was a laugh behind her and a voice said, "Oh, how _touching_."

Her body went rigid. Kahlaya had half hoped that Bakura would just remain quiet, but, of course, he wouldn't.

She looked over her shoulder at him. He was looking at the Pharaoh, a smirk on his face and a dark glint in his eyes.

The Pharaoh's stern gaze hardened and fell to the thief.

"You will not speak unless spoken to, Thief," the Pharaoh said. "You will be punished for your actions."

"Pharaoh," Bakura sneered, performing a mock bow. "It has been quite a while, hasn't it? And I do remember our last encounter quite clearly."

The Pharaoh's face turned to a mask of rage. His voice was a deadly whisper when he spoke. "And you will pay dearly for both what you did in the past and what you have done recently."

"Will I?"

Kahlaya couldn't help but wonder what it was that Bakura had done to the Pharaoh in the past. Sure, he was a thief and stole from tombs and temples all the time, but what had he done to make the king so angry?

"Take him and the others to the dungeons," said the Pharaoh, his eyes still sternly glaring at the Thief King. Bakura returned the deadly stare, a smirk etched onto his face.  
>The soldiers, along with the commander, all obeyed the orders and escorted the thieves out of the room. Kahlaya looked at Bakura as he left. He met her eyes for barely a second and Kahlaya flinched at the anger in them. She wished she could tell him, and then convince him, of the truth. For once, something had been going right and then it was ruined. Just like that.<p>

The room suddenly felt empty without the others. Now it was just her, the Pharaoh, the Prince and the royal court. Kahlaya felt like she stuck out. Her clothes were not as fine and she hadn't bathed properly in a few days. She probably looked a mess.

"Isis," said the Pharaoh, making Kahlaya jump. "Why don't you take Kahlaya to her room. She can get cleaned up and settle in. Breakfast will be in about an hour."

Isis, who was the only woman in the royal court, nodded and walked to Kahlaya. Kahlaya noticed the golden necklace around her neck. It had the shape of an eye on it. All of the court members had an item with the eye. As did the Pharaoh.

'_The Millennium Items. Those are the items they killed Bakura's village to make.' _She had to hold back an angry scowl. '_And now they're wearing them around their necks.' _She felt hot anger boil inside her. She wanted to rip the piece of jewelry from around Isis' neck and break it into pieces. Instead, Kahlaya smiled warmly at the only female guardian.

"Pleased to meet you, Guardian Isis." Kahlaya did a small curtsy.

Isis smiled and returned the curtsy. "The pleasure is all mine, Kahlaya. Come, I'll show you to your room." Isis took Kahlaya's arm and led her from the throne room.

* * *

><p>Kahlaya lay down on the oversized bed. She sunk slowly into the fluffy mattress. Staring up at the ceiling, she wished she could have been back at the temple. Or have had Bakura lying beside her. Or at least not have him mad at her.<p>

She was on her back with her arms spread out on either side of her. Grabbing fistfuls of the soft duvet cover, she twisted the sheets and clenched her jaw, letting some of the anger out with just that simple gesture. She was strangling the blanket, but it helped ebb her frustration.

There was a knock on the door and Kahlaya sat up abruptly, her wet hair falling over her shoulders. Letting go of the duvet, she tried straightening the blanket before calling: "Come in."

The door opened and a girl walked in. She looked to be just a year or two older than Kahlaya and had long black hair and bright, sea-green eyes. She was very petit and wore just a simple, plain, off-white, knee-length dress.

She curtsied to Kahlaya when she saw her. "Good morning, Guardian Kahlaya. I see you have bathed and found your wardrobe."

Kahlaya had put on a navy blue dress she had found in a closet. It was something she wasn't used to wearing. Too elegant for her taste, but it was the least royal looking one she had found.

"Yes, I did." She eyed the girl carefully. "And you are…?"

The girl looked startled. "Oh! Yes! I forgot." She blushed apologetically. "My name is Femi. I am to be your personal servant, my lady." She curtsied again.

"Ah," Kahlaya muttered slowly. "You seem young to be a servant here."

Femi shrugged. "I don't mind. I get paid for it, so I'm not complaining."

Kahlaya nodded thoughtfully and studied the girl. She seemed okay. Kahlaya didn't feel that she could trust her with very much, at least not yet. Maybe she could be a friend.

"Well," Kahlaya said pleasantly, rising from the bed. "I suppose I should go to breakfast then, shouldn't I?"

Femi nodded. "Yes, Guardian Kahlaya, that is actually why I am here; to take you to the dining hall."

Kahlaya smiled. "Please just call me Kahlaya."

Femi looked completely shocked. "Oh, no. I couldn't do that. It's improper."

Kahlaya placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "At least when it is just the two of us. No one needs to know. Please, I would rather be your friend than your mistress."

Femi nodded and smiled. "Alright… Kahlaya."

Kahlaya returned the smile. "Okay then, let's go down to breakfast."

Femi led the way from the room and through the palace. Kahlaya marvelled at the grandeur of it and wished she wasn't so impressed. They reached a set of doors and Femi stopped walking.

"In there. Everyone is probably already seated and are waiting for you. Enjoy your breakfast, my lady. I will see you afterwards." Femi curtsied low and walked back the way they had come.

Taking a breath, Kahlaya pushed open one of the doors to the dining hall and stepped inside. The room was, of course, beautiful. There was a long table and at it sat the six royal guardians, the prince and, at the head of the table, was the Pharaoh. Everyone looked in her direction as she entered, causing Kahlaya to blush.

The Pharaoh stood. "Ah, Kahlaya, glad you could join us. I had half expected you to sleep for the rest of the morning, seeing as how you had a long ride last night."

Kahlaya semi-bowed. "Perhaps I could rest a while later. I had not wanted to miss my first meal within the palace walls."

The King smiled and gestured to a seat next to Atem. Kahlaya sat down next to him and the Pharaoh sank back into his seat.

Breakfast was soon served and Kahlaya had never eaten anything so delicious in her life. She ate until she couldn't take another bite and felt somewhat self conscious of it.

"My god," the Pharaoh chuckled, "Did those wretched thieves not feed you at all?"

"They did," came Kahlaya's somewhat sour reply. "But it was not nearly as wonderful as this."

The Pharaoh laughed. "I wouldn't think so."

Kahlaya smiled at him. He was not the way she had thought he would be. He laughed quite a bit and wasn't at all menacing. She had thought he would be serious and proper all the time. He didn't seem like someone who would kill an entire village to create items that held such darkness in them.

Kahlaya felt a tingle in the back of her neck and turned her head to look farther down the table. One of the priests, the one named Aknadin, was watching her intently. His Millennium Item was a gold eye that actually replaced one of his real eyes. While his right eye gave her a sinister glare, the Millennium Eye gazed right through her, to her soul. Aknadin was easily the oldest Guardian and wore a plain cream coloured robe-cloak that went to the floor. He usually had the hood up, but it wasn't while they ate.

She looked back at him with an equally sinister glare. His eye narrowed before he looked away from her. Kahlaya looked back to the Pharaoh, who had been having a conversation with his son. The King and Prince looked to her, both smiling.

"If you are finished, Kahlaya, you may go back to your room and get some sleep. You look like you could use some," said the Pharaoh.

Kahlaya really hoped her lack of sleep wasn't showing too much as she rose from her chair. She curtsied to the king and prince, then to everyone else at the table and left the room. She didn't realize that someone had followed after her until she had made it through the doors and into the hallway.

A hand on her shoulder made her spin around quickly to look at who it was. Prince Atem was standing behind her, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Forgive me, Kahlaya, I did not mean to scare you," he had a deep, baritone voice that radiated confidence and authority.

"It's alright," she sighed. "You just startled me. My reflexes aren't great at the moment. I really need some sleep." She paused. "Your Majesty."

He laughed lightly. "You don't need to call me that. To you, I am simply Atem."

She smiled. "Okay."

"I think we should get to know each other a little better. So, this afternoon, how would you like to go for a walk with me around the courtyards? I could show you around."

"That sounds great!" Kahlaya smiled brightly.

He smiled. "Perfect. I'll be waiting outside your room at two."

She nodded as he turned and walked down the hallway. Femi then came from the opposite direction as Atem. She went over to Kahlaya and curtsied.

"Would you like to return to your room, my lady?" asked the girl.

"Yes, please," Kahlaya said around a yawn.

Femi smiled and led her back through the hallways and to Kahlaya's room. Once Kahlaya was inside and she was sure that Femi was far down the corridor, she collapsed on the bed and felt warm tears stream down her face.

She missed him. Terribly. Kahlaya didn't want to be in the palace. She didn't want servants or fancy food. All she wanted was to curl up next to Bakura and fall asleep on his warm shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>So there's Prince Atem. :) Hope everyone liked the chapter!<strong>

**Remember to always wear a seatbelt!**

**Review!**

**-WhiteTiger**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you to all reviewers! **

**And did I manage to create pathos? If I did, that's brilliant. :)**

Chapter 15

It was dark. But that didn't matter. Being a thief had its advantages, one of them being having the ability to see in the darkness. Bakura sat with his back pressed against the wall and his head bent back, the top of it resting on the stones of the wall. He was in his own little dungeon. The other thieves were put in a different cell. Both his arms and legs were bound, but, luckily, his arms hadn't been tied behind his back.

"Stupid idiots," the thief muttered as he began wriggling out of the rope binding his wrists. He was soon freed and began untying his ankles.

Throwing the rope aside, Bakura stood and went to the wooden door. Pressing his ear against it, he could distinctly hear the breathing of two guards outside.

'_Well isn't this flattering,' _he thought. _'_Two _guards outside my door. The Pharaoh must be quite nervous about me.' _ The thought caused a smirk to make its way onto the thief king's face. '_That's quite alright. There are more ways to break out of a dungeon than just the door.'_

There was a window on the opposite wall from the door, but there were vertical metal bars across it that wouldn't allow him to get out so easily. Scowling, Bakura tried pulling out each of the bars, hoping that some other prisoner had managed to escape that way. No luck. Growling in frustration, Bakura began pacing the room, pushing on stones here and there to see if any of them moved. As he was doing so, he heard a noise from outside his window. Turning towards it, he saw a familiar face peering at him and he immediately filled with rage.

Storming over to the window, he glared into the amethyst eyes with as much anger as he could manage. "What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily.

The white wolf outside laid down on its stomach so that she could look at him easier. "_I need to talk to you."_ Came the reply in his head.

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say." Bakura turned away from the window and retreated to a shadowy corner.

"_Please, listen to me," _she pleaded quietly, a low whine issuing form the wolf. "_I did not betray you. I would never do that to you. I swear on my life. It wasn't me. Please, Bakura, please believe me."_

There was silence for a while. "If it wasn't you, then who would it be?" Bakura asked with a deadly tone in his voice.

"_I don't know, b-" _ Kahlaya was cut off by Bakura's angry retort.

"That dimwit of a commander said that someone I captured told them. The only other option would be Sanura and, tell me, when would she have gone off to tell the Pharaoh of your whereabouts?"

Kahlaya stared at the shadows where Bakura was hidden. "_I don't know that either. But, please, you must trust me. I didn't say anything. I would never do that to you. I would rather die than betray you."_

"Why should I believe you?" Bakura asked harshly.

Kahlaya flinched at his tone. "_Because I have never given you a reason not to."_

Silence filled the air. Bakura kept his eyes on the face of the wolf outside his window. Pleading amethyst eyes stared back at him. It was true. She had never betrayed his trust before. She had stayed with him even when she could have left. She had confided in him and he had confided in her. Slowly, the thief walked out of the shadows and closer to the window.

"How did you find me?" he asked flatly.

Kahlaya wasn't all that happy with the change in subject. She wanted to sort out this mess.

Sighing, she answered his question. "_With your aura. I'm quite attuned to it. Remember, I can see beyond my eyes with it and, apparently, it works as a wolf as well. It's easy for me to pick out your aura from everyone else. As for getting here to talk to you, I jumped from my balcony. As I wolf, I seem to be able to handle jumps and speed a lot better."_

Bakura nodded thoughtfully. She had jumped off of a balcony and tracked his aura just to come and get him to believe her. Maybe she hadn't betrayed him. The only other option was Sanura and the explanation of her getting to the Pharaoh to tell him was a mystery.

"_Bakura, please believe me. I wou-"_

"I know," Bakura interrupted quietly.

Kahlaya's eyes widened and a wolf smile spread across her face. "_You know? You believe me?"_

He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed.

The wolf jumped to her feet, ears pricked forward and tail wagging happily. Bakura found the reaction very amusing. It was completely wolf-like.

"_I'm so relieved," _she told him happily. "_You have no idea how terrible I felt."_

Bakura smirked. "I can imagine. Considering you shifted."

Kahlaya smiled then frowned. "_How are we going to get you out?"_

Bakura smiled slyly. "I'm sure it won't be too difficult."

_"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you. There are guards everywhere."_

He frowned. "And you're just standing outside a dungeon window. If the security is so great, why has no one noticed you?"

Kahlaya shrugged. "_There aren't that many over here. But I am keeping an eye out. I should probably go back to my room now. I'm supposed to be resting and the prince wanted to give me a tour of the place. You know, so that we can talk and get to know each other."_

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Have fun."

Kahlaya half smiled. "_I'll try." _She winked playfully. _"Maybe tonight I can sneak out and come talk to you."_

"Just don't get caught."

Kahlaya looked hurt. "_Me? Get caught? Do you doubt my sneaking skills, oh great thief king?"_

He smirked. "Yes, actually, I do."

"_That hurts."_

Smiling, Kahlaya went to turn away from the window.

"Will you do something for me?" Bakura asked, causing Kahlaya to turn back.

Her eyes narrowed. _"Depends on what it is._"

"I want to know what their plans are for me." There was a sour note in his voice.

"_I'll see what I can do," _Kahlaya replied quietly before turning away and disappearing from Bakura's view.

Despite himself, Bakura smiled. He was glad that he was on speaking terms with Kahlaya again. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her until he saw her face. Even if it was her wolf face, it still held the same beauty. He forced a smirk onto his face. They had only been apart for half a day and he had already missed her more than anything. Maybe he was getting soft.

* * *

><p>Getting back into her room had been a lot harder than getting out, but, with much effort, Kahlaya had managed it. Once inside, Kahlaya let her emotions engulf her and she was soon standing on two legs and had pulled a dress on. She was exhausted and felt like she was about to fall over, but she brushed through her hair and tried to look somewhat awake.<p>

Just as Kahlaya finished getting ready, there was a knock on the door and Femi walked into the room.

Femi curtsied to Kahlaya and looked at her appearance. "You look lovely, Kahlaya."

Kahlaya smiled slightly. "Not really, but thank you. I didn't manage to get much sleep."

"That's a shame. The prince should be here soon. I just came to make sure you were up and ready."

"Thanks." Kahlaya smiled.

Femi curtsied again before leaving the room.

After the door closed, Kahlaya went out on the balcony and folded her arms across the railing, looking out into the land. The village below was bustling with life. She could hear children laughing and people speaking. Spotting Okpara's house, she wondered when she'd next see him and if he'd be okay without her. She didn't doubt that he wouldn't be, but it still worried her slightly. Kahlaya looked to the east, where the temple was. She wondered if everything was still in it or if soldiers had returned to the place and taken everything. It was obvious that Bakura and the others would never be able to return to it. She hoped that they had a second location already in mind.

Three loud knocks sounded on the door. Turning away from the balcony, Kahlaya walked to the door and opened it. The prince stood in the doorway.

He wore an off white tunic with lighter blue on the kilt of it. A belt wrapped around his waist and there were gold bands on his legs and arms. His hair was a huge, spiky mess, as usual. He smiled warmly at her, his amethyst eyes shining brightly.

He bowed his head. "Are you ready for your tour, my lady?"

Kahlaya couldn't help but smile. He was quite charming. "Yes, I am."

"Then right this way." He held his arm out in a gesture that she should step out into the hallway. Kahlaya did so and they walked down the hallway, side by side.

As they walked, Kahlaya tried to stifle a yawn, mostly failing.

Atem glanced over at her. "Didn't sleep?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I got a few hours."

He stopped walking. She did the same and gave him a questioning look.

"If you'd like," he said, "you could go back to sleep and I can give you a tour later."

Shaking her head, Kahlaya smiled and continued walking. "That's alright, Atem, I can sleep tonight. Right now, I would very much like to be able to find my way around this place."

The prince kept walking. "Alright. If you're sure."

"I'm sure."

They walked through the palace and Atem pointed out the various rooms and significant ornaments and or statues. Kahlaya found it all quite superb, but she was growing extremely tired. They must have been walking around for at least a few hours.

Kahlaya was glad when they made it to a beautiful courtyard. She was happy to be out in the fresh air. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the trees and sent ripples across the clear blue water. Taking a seat in the shade of a tree, Kahlaya sighed and watched the fish swim in the small pond.

"This is one of my favourite courtyards," Atem said, taking a seat beside her.

"I can see why."

There was silence between them for a few seconds. Kahlaya kept her eyes focused on the fish. One in particular, who kept jumping out of the water. She decided to call it Nile.

"Are you alright?" asked the Prince.

Startled by the question, Kahlaya looked over at him. "Yes. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

He met her eyes. "I'm not sure. You just seem…" he searched for the right word, "distracted."

She moved her eyes back to Nile who was now nibbling on a flower floating on the surface of the water.

"I think I'm just tired."

Atem nodded. Kahlaya didn't think he fully believed her.

"Tell me about yourself, Kahlaya," Atem said, his eyes still on her.

Kahlaya laughed, still focusing on Nile. "There isn't much to tell."

"I'll start, then," he said. "I grew up here in the palace and my mother died when I was three. I don't have any brothers or sisters. The only time I can ever go beyond the palace walls is with my father or with several guards. I enjoy playing games and I like the colour blue. Okay, your turn."

Kahlaya looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "Oh, so you just want me to tell you stuff like that." Then she gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about your mother."

He waved a hand. "It's quite alright. I don't remember her much."

"About me…" Kahlaya began. She pondered over what she would say. Nothing about the thieves and nothing to suggest she didn't want to be there. "Well," she said slowly. "I was taken from my parents not long after I was born. I grew up with the Spirit Master, Okpara. I trained every single day since I could walk. I have a soft spot for wolves. The colour purple appeals to me and I tend to have some trust issues. As of late."

Atem nodded thoughtfully. "You haven't seen your parents since the day you were taken?"

She shook her head. "I don't remember anything about them. At all. I was born in a far away village and I have never met my parents."

Not for the first time, Kahlaya thought about her parents. She wondered how they were. If they had had another child. What they looked like. What their personalities were like. She wondered if she looked more like her mother or like her father. Who she acted most like. If they missed her.

"But it's fine. I guess." Kahlaya forced a smile. "I don't even remember them, so how can I miss them?"

Atem looked at the ground. "I miss my mother sometimes."

Kahlaya looked at him. She could feel the sadness rolling off of him in waves. For a second, she wanted to reach out and place a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, but she didn't. They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Kahlaya then remembered that she had promised someone she'd ask something.

"What's going to happen?" she asked.

Atem looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"To the thieves."

"They'll probably be trialled by the Millennium Items. But I'm not sure about Bakura though. He might get a different punishment."

Kahlaya swallowed the lump in her throat. "Trialled by the Millennium Items?"

Atem nodded. "Yes. Their souls will be judged by the power of the Items. If their souls are being controlled by a shadow creature, the Millennium Items can extract the darkness and free them of it."

Kahlaya's eyebrows pulled together. "What about the other punishment? For Bakura?"

"Death most likely. My father has quite the grudge on him. And, honestly, I don't blame him."

Kahlaya's eyes narrowed. He thought that his father had a grudge on Bakura? Kahlaya almost laughed. If only Atem knew of Bakura's grudge on his father. There would be no competition as to whose was stronger.

"Why? I mean, I know he's a thief. He robs tombs and palaces, but why does your father hate him with such a passion?" Kahlaya asked, trying to sound casual.

Atem took a moment to answer. "He… he killed my father's Divine Guardian a few years ago."

Kahlaya's eyes widened. "What?"

The prince nodded. "Bakura had broken into the palace and had run into him. Jahi, that was the name of the guardian, tried to keep him from escaping. The two ended up in a fight. Jahi didn't win."

Frowning Kahlaya asked, "I thought Divine Guardians were supposed to be… indestructible."

"Apparently, they aren't."

Kahlaya thought back to the fight at the temple. When she was a wolf. No, she definitely was not indestructible. Not by a long shot.

"When do you think he will be punished?" Kahlaya asked, somewhat nervous.

Atem shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe in a few days. I don't think my father will wait too long. But, it definitely won't be tomorrow because of the celebrations."

Kahlaya's eyebrows furrowed. "Celebration? For what?"

Atem looked at her like she was missing the obvious. "It's both our birthdays tomorrow."

Kahlaya had completely forgotten. Tomorrow was her seventeenth birthday.

"Oh. Right. I forgot."

"I understand. You were gone for quite a while and you must have a lot on your mind. But, there is a celebration tomorrow night for the two of us."

Kahlaya nodded. "I'm sure it will be extraordinary."

"There's no doubt about that. My father will have gone out of his way to make sure everything is perfect."

Kahlaya yawned and stood up. "I think I will return to my room, if you don't mind. My lack of sleep is catching up to me."

Atem stood as well. "I will escort you there."

When Kahlaya was back in her room, she changed into some nightclothes and crawled under the bed covers. It did not take sleep long to find her.

* * *

><p>Jumping down from the balcony, Kahlaya landed on silent paws in the sand. Keeping close to the palace wall, she quietly walked in the direction of Bakura's dungeon window.<p>

Peering in through the bars, Kahlaya could see him sitting up against the wall, fiddling with something in his hand.

"_Do you not sleep?"_ She asked and he looked up.

Smiling, he rose to his feet and walked closer to the window. "I slept earlier. I almost thought you weren't going to come."

"_You really need to stop doubting me."_

"I'm not used to trusting people."

"_Well, you can trust me."_

"I hope so."

They both just looked into the other's eyes for a few seconds. Kahlaya stared into his light violet eyes. They were cold and unfriendly, just as when she had first met him, but, when she searched them farther, she could plainly see the affection and compassion there. She smiled at the thought that she was the reason those emotions were there.

Kahlaya then remembered something and frowned. "_Why didn't you tell me about Jahi?"_

Bakura's eyes clouded over. He didn't break her gaze. "Why is it important that you know?"

"_Because it would have been nice to know that the pharaoh has an immense grudge on you for it."_

His eyes narrowed. "I still don't see how that has any significance."

She huffed in frustration. _"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because the pharaoh will probably have you killed for it. Which means that you need to get away from here. Soon."_

He shrugged. "It would have just given you something else to worry about."

She smirked. _"Thanks for being so considerate."_

He smiled and did a mock bow. "No trouble at all, my lady."

She scowled. _"For every time you call me that, you will receive a punch in the face."_

"It's a good thing that there are bars between us then, isn't it?" he asked, smiling.

"_When you get out, I'll make sure you receive each and every punch."_

His smile broadened. "I'm sure you will." His face turned serious. "Did you happen to find out their plans for me?"

"_Yes. I did."_

Bakura waited for her to continue and when she didn't he said: "And? What are they planning?"

Kahlaya looked at the ground. _"I think they are planning to kill you, but there isn't a final decision. It won't be tomorrow because there is a party for my and the prince's birthday. Atem said that maybe the day after. The others, he told me, will probably be trialled by the Millennium Items."_

Bakura cursed under his breath. "They don't have shadow creatures within their souls. They are merely thieves. They'll probably be killed when the judgement fails." He arched an eyebrow at her. "On a first name basis with the Prince, are you?"

"_He just… asked me to call him that."_

"Aha, I see."

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. _"It doesn't mean anything." _She changed the subject. _"Do you have a plan for escaping?"_

Bakura noticed the change in conversation, but decided to go with it. "Not yet. I may need some… inside help though." He looked at her with a dark gleam in his eyes.

"_I'll help in any way that I can."_

He smiled. "I'll work on something."

Smiling back, Kahlaya lay down in the sand and rested her head on her paws.

"What are you doing?" Bakura asked.

"_I sleep better when I'm near you."_

"If you stay here, you'll probably get caught."

She shrugged, an awkward movement for a wolf lying down. "_I'll take my chances."_

He sighed. "I don't want to make things more complicated for you. If you're caught here, people will ask questions. Go back to your room."

Scowling, Kahlaya rose to her feet. _"Whatever you say, _my king_." _She did a wolf bow.

Bakura shrugged and grinned. "Call me that if you want."

Eyes narrowed, Kahlaya turned and began making her way back along the palace wall. "_I'll see you tomorrow night."_

* * *

><p><strong>Hurray! He isn't mad at her anymore! :) <strong>

**Review!**

**Oh, and could everyone do me a big favour? Whoever has _FAVOURITED_ this story, please write something in the review saying that you did. You don't need to review the story, just say that you have favourited it. Thank you! :)**

**-WhiteTiger**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. :)**

**And, I am almost positive that not everyone who favourited it said they did. ;) Considering that all the same people who always review are the ones who reviewed.**

**To **Shadowclanwarrior**: I was just wondering who favourited it. I would like to know. I'm quite sure that not everyone who favourited it reviews, so I just wanted them to tell me if they did. :)**

**To **ShadowLuna**: Massive thank you! I have also read your story and am rally liking it. I favourited your story a long time ago, just to let you know. :)****  
><strong>

Chapter 16

A large ball of aura energy flew through the air and hit the target, dead center, shattering it into pieces. Several others had been demolished in the same fashion; heaps of broken wood were scattered all over the ground.

"Well done, Kahlaya!" the Sacred Guardian, Mahad, said. He was standing off to the side, watching over Kahlaya's target practice.

Kahlaya smiled. She had been practicing for a few hours. They had begun with just regular targets and then she had moved farther away and Mahad had used his magic to make the targets move. Kahlaya hadn't missed a target yet.

"You seem to have a natural skill at aiming," he told her warmly.

"I guess I do."

"Have you practiced much?"

"Not at all, actually. I've really just gotten the hang of using my aura to make spheres and to scout out areas."

Mahad looked surprised. "Well, you are very skilled for not having any experience."

She smirked. Kahlaya did have experience. Her mind flashed back to the fight against the Dark Destroyers and then again to when the soldiers had been chasing them from the city. It all seemed so long ago, like it had happened in a different life. Of course, she couldn't tell him that. Mahad could just keep thinking that it all came to her naturally.

"What about your spirit animal?" Mahad asked.

Kahlaya shrugged. "I've pretty much mastered that." Then she remembered something. "But there is a... uh… minor complication, concerning my animal spirit."

Mahad gave her a confused look. "And what would that be?"

Kahlaya looked down and she felt herself blush. "When I change back from a wolf, I'm a little short of, um… clothes."

Mahad's eyebrows went up. "Oh. Well, I can help with that."

His staff appeared in his hand and he waved it twice in Kahlaya's direction. Her clothes sparkled for

a second and then returned to normal.

"There," he said. "Your problems should be solved."

"Okay, let's test this out."

Kahlaya shifted into her wolf form and, this time, her clothes didn't shred, they just simply disappeared under fur. A little nervous that it may not work, she shifted back to a human. She was wearing the same outfit she had been wearing before.

"Thank you, Mahad. Very much." She smiled.

He returned the smile. "Not a problem."

Kahlaya sighed. "I think I'll get something to eat and then I'll relax in my room for a bit. I'm still quite tired and I want to be rested for the festivities tonight."

Mahad bowed his head. "Of course. I will see you tonight then."

Kahlaya smiled and watched as the Guardian walked away. Hurrying inside, she ran to the other side of the palace so that she was near the dungeons. Slipping back outside, she walked around the palace until she reached Bakura's window.

Kahlaya pushed her aura out from around her. If anyone got too close, she would sense it. Peering in through the barred window, her eyes fell on Bakura, who was asleep on the floor. She partially wanted to let him sleep, but then decided that the need to talk to him was greater than his need to sleep. They needed to devise a plan for him to escape.

Finding a small rock in the sand, Kahlaya picked it up and chucked it into the cell. It whacked the top of Bakura's head and bounced onto the floor.

His eyes snapped open. "What the hell?" he muttered angrily, a hand rubbing the top of his head and his eyes surveying the room. They found Kahlaya, sitting outside the window.

He scowled and rose to his feet. "That hurt, you know."

She smiled. "Oh, suck it up. I'm sure you've been through worse. I didn't want to yell to wake you up, in case I alerted the guards and that was the easiest way."

"You're going to get caught if you keep coming here," he said, walking right up to the window.

"I'm using my aura. So, if anyone gets too close, I'll know and I can get back inside." She smiled warmly. "But I do appreciate how concerned you are."

He smirked. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble." He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"To make a plan to get you out. Tonight. Because of the party, everyone will be occupied."

Bakura stared at her, considering. "What did you have in mind?"

"I thought that I could break away from the crowd and come down here. It'll be easy to take out the guards. They won't even need to see me. I break you out and then I'm sure you can handle yourself from there. It'll be in the middle of the celebration so that it's late enough and people are into the partying so much that they won't notice. I'll just excuse myself for a second. It's foolproof."

Bakura thought it over in his head, thinking of all the ways it could go wrong and running it over and over again to make a plan for him to leave once Kahlaya had done her part.

He nodded slowly. "It's the best we've got, so I'll agree to it."

"Did you have anything in mind?" she inquired.

He shrugged. "A few ideas." A sly smile spread across his face. "I didn't know you could be so… devious."

Kahlaya smiled darkly. "You have no idea."

Kahlaya walked into the throne room, her deep violet dress billowing around her. Everyone else in the room stopped speaking and looked at her. She blushed deeply as she walked through the crowd, toward the back where the throne, and the Prince, were. Everyone in the room bowed to her as she made her way there, which made her blush even more. She made it to the bottom of the stairs that went to the throne and curtsied to the Prince and the Pharaoh. Atem bowed to her and then held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up the stairs to stand beside him.

The Pharaoh rose from his place on the throne and addressed the crowd. "Welcome, everyone, to my home. You are all here tonight to celebrate the birthday of my son, Prince Atem and the birthday of his Divine Guardian, Kahlaya." Everyone clapped and cheered. The king allowed it for a while before raising a hand and demanding silence. "Please, everyone, enjoy the food, music and company and thank you for your presence." He bowed his head to the crowd who cheered and hollered.

Kahlaya turned her head to Atem, who was smiling at the crowd. He looked at her when he saw her gaze on him.

"Happy birthday, Kahlaya," he murmured softly.

Kahlaya found herself smiling. "Happy birthday to you as well, Atem."

Musicians began playing music. Atem held out his hand. "Would you like to dance, my guardian?"

Kahlaya's smile faltered slightly. She remembered someone else calling her that. She wished deeply that he could be there with her. She wanted to be taking his hand instead of the prince's.

'_Soon,' _she thought. '_Soon, he will be free.'_

But you won't be. A voice at the back of her mind said. He may be free, but you are still a prisoner. You will still be the only Divine Guardian alive. You won't be together.

Kahlaya fought back against the voice. '_No. We will be together. I don't care what it takes; Bakura and I will be together.'_

"Kahlaya?" Atem's voice snapped Kahlaya out of her reverie. "Are you alright?"

She forced a smile onto her face. "Yes. I'm fine." She took his hand. "I would love to dance."

Atem beamed and led her down the staircase and into the crowd. They joined the other couples dancing. Kahlaya couldn't help but smile as Atem swung her around and moved to the beat of the music. She laughed and actually liked dancing with him.

The festivities continued for several hours, Kahlaya mostly danced with Atem or watched as he danced with a young sorceress named Mana. She was bubbly and energetic and Kahlaya found her slightly annoying.

"Ra," she murmured. "I'm becoming more and more like him."

"Like who?" a deep voice asked from behind her.

Kahlaya whipped around and found herself face to face with Atem. "Oh, no one. I was just thinking out loud."

He laughed lightly. "I see."

Deciding that now was as good a time as ever, Kahlaya said: "I'll be back. There was a bracelet in my room that I had meant to wear, but I must have forgotten it." She looked at her wrist in puzzlement.

Atem's eyes fell to her wrist and then back to her eyes. "Alright, but hurry back."

Nodding, Kahlaya hurried through the crowd and into the palace halls. There were four guards stationed at the entrance to the throne room, but other than that, the hallways were completely deserted. She hurried through the corridors, travelling at a jog until she reached the dungeon door. It was locked, so she threw a sphere of aura into it as hard as she could and it burst open. Smiling, she walked down the stairs and into the dungeon.

The temperature dropped considerably and the light diminished greatly. Kahlaya's wolf eyes adjusted to the dimness easily and she had no trouble seeing. There were candles stuck into the walls at regular intervals which also helped. The stairs soon ended and ahead of her was a long hallway. Keeping to the shadows, Kahlaya peered down the corridor. There was only one door with any guards outside of it; Bakura's door. Forming a ball of aura, Kahlaya flung it down the hall. It crashed into the first guard and sent him flying into the wall. Another sphere hit the second guard and he fell to the ground with a startled yell.

Hurrying down the hall, Kahlaya made it to the door and knocked it off its hinges with a strong force of aura. Inside the room stood a lone figure, just barely visible in the dark. Kahlaya ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck. His arms went around her waist and pulled her close. Their lips found each other in the dimness and they shared a much needed kiss.

They broke apart, but were still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Wow, I forgot what that felt like," Kahlaya whispered, smiling.

She saw him smile in the dark. "So did I." He moved his hands from her waist and she dropped hers from around his neck. "But I'm afraid we can't stay here and talk. You must return to your party and I must free the others and then get out of this wretched palace." He pondered something for a second. "Perhaps I will even pay a visit to the treasury."

Kahlaya slapped his arm. "Don't worry about stealing anything! Get out of here!"

Bakura smirked and kissed her forehead. "Whatever you say, my lady."

He smoothly dodged her swinging fist and disappeared through the doorway with a laugh. Kahlaya sighed but smiled as she walked from the cell. Both of the unconscious guards were now missing their swords and Kahlaya could see Bakura's form moving from cell to cell peering in through the small barred window on the doors, looking for the other thieves.

Closing her eyes, Kahlaya used her aura to show her the entire dungeon. She soon found the other thieves, all locked in the same cell.

"Bakura," she called and he turned around. "They're in the last cell on the left."

He nodded and ran to the correct cell.

"Please be careful," Kahlaya murmured even though she knew he wouldn't hear her.

She turned sharply and headed back down the hallway and up the stairs.

Before returning to the party, Kahlaya realized that she would have to go up to her room and get a bracelet. She wouldn't want Atem to get suspicious if she came back without what she had said she was going to retrieve.

Rushing down several hallways and up a number of staircases, Kahlaya reached her room, grabbed a bracelet and hurried back down to the throne room. When she reached the enormous room, everyone was still dancing and the music was still playing. Everyone was oblivious to the fact that the most dangerous thief in Egypt was now roaming the palace. Or, hopefully, he had decided to let it be and got away from there.

Kahlaya pushed her way through the crowd, towards the front of the room. She spotted the Pharaoh as well as the six Sacred Guardians. It took her a moment longer to find Atem, but when she did, she saw that he was happily dancing with Mana.

Turning, she walked to a table filled with fruit and began munching on a piece. She sat on one of the chairs and watched the crowd sway to the music. The musicians turned the song into a slower one and everyone slowed their dancing and grabbed someone to dance with. Kahlaya watched Mana and Atem dance and sighed. There was no one for her to dance with.

"Would you care to dance, my lady?"asked a voice from behind her.

Kahlaya stiffly rotated on her chair to look into deep violet eyes and a smirking face. He wasn't wearing the same clothes, but had a white tunic with gold lacing and matching sandals. There were gold bands on his legs and arms. He was also wearing a dark wig to hide his head of snowy hair.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed quietly through gritted teeth.

"At the moment, I am here to dance with someone I seem to care very much for." He smiled.

Kahlaya's anger toward him melted. She let him take her hand and pull her to her feet. His hands fell to her waist and hers laced around his neck as they moved to the music. Bakura wasn't as bad a dancer as she'd thought he'd be. He was actually moving in rhythm and paying attention to where he stepped.

"You really shouldn't be here," she whispered. "Someone could notice you."

He laughed. "I'm not afraid of any of these people. Those fools they call guards practically just let me walk in here."

Although Kahlaya wanted to be reassured by his words, she still felt nervous.

"What if you get caught? Again?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I won't. But if anything does happen…" He revealed two daggers tucked into his belt.

She scowled. "Try not to kill anyone, would you?"

He pouted. "But that's no fun."

Sighing, Kahlaya repeated: "You really shouldn't be here."

He gave her a condescending look. "Tell me you don't want me here."

Kahlaya looked at the floor, feeling selfish. She couldn't tell him that. She was glad to be with him, she had to admit, but it wasn't safe for him there. He was not thirty feet away from the Pharaoh and his guardians. This whole situation screamed careless, but carelessness was what fueled Bakura, wasn't it?

When she didn't reply, he continued. "Exactly. And I couldn't miss out on your birthday celebration, now could I?"

Kahlaya looked back up at his face. He was smiling and his violet eyes were warm. She pulled herself closer to him.

"I am glad that you're here," she murmured before hugging him tightly, her cheek pressed against his chest.

His arms held her close and his chin rested on top of her head. They swayed slightly from side to side to the rhythm of the music. Kahlaya listened to his breathing lungs and the beating of his heart. She wished that that moment could last forever. But all good things must come to an end.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who reads this story and I hope you like it! <strong>

**Reviews are great to get, just saying. :)**

**-WhiteTiger**


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for taking so long to update! But here is Chapter 17! Enjoy! And massive thank you to everyone who reviews! :)

Chapter 17

The music turned more upbeat and the people in the room began moving faster. Kahlaya broke apart from Bakura and they began a more rapid dance. She laughed as he swung her and they moved to the beat. This was a Bakura that she had never seen before. He seemed to be enjoying himself, as there was a smile plastered to his face. She liked this side of him.

As the song ended and their dance stopped, Kahlaya hugged Bakura again.

"I'm _very_ glad that you're here," she said happily.

Bakura smiled down at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a familiar head of hair heading towards them. Grimacing, he pulled away from Kahlaya.

"There's someone coming and I would rather not have him see my face." He kissed her forehead. "But I will see you later, my lady." With a swift bow he backed away a few steps, a broad smile on his face, before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Kahlaya watched him go with an annoyed expression. How many punches was that now? Four?

'_And he'll get each one of them,' _she thought, laughing slightly.

She heard someone walking towards her from behind and she turned around. It was Atem, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Who was that?" he asked, looking into the crowd where Bakura had vanished.

Kahlaya shrugged. "Just someone who wanted to dance. I didn't even catch his name."

Atem looked at her, a smile on his face. "Are you enjoying the festivities, Kahlaya?"

She nodded. "Very much so."

"That's good. I am rather enjoying myself as well. But I think it is time for the most important part."

Kahlaya's eyebrows creased and she gave him a confused look. "What would that be?"

Atem held up a finger and gave her a knowing look before his eyes travelled to where the throne, his father and the Sacred Guardians were. Kahlaya was still as confused as ever.

The music stopped playing and everyone turned their attention to the Pharaoh who had risen from his seat and was smiling at the people.

"As we all know," he said, his deep voice ringing throughout the room. "Today is the birthday of my son and the Divine Guardian." Everyone clapped and cheered. "But," he continued, "Today will also be marked as the day that the bond between them was established."

Kahlaya felt her pulse pick up speed. The bond? The Divine Bond? This would mean that she and Atem would have a connection that would allow them to know the other's whereabouts if ever need be. They would be able to communicate using their thoughts and would have the ability to see through the other's eyes. This could be trouble for Kahlaya. She wouldn't be able to be with Bakura without the Prince knowing it.

"Come," Atem said from beside her, taking Kahlaya's hand. "We must go up there with them."

Kahlaya half walked, half stumbled after Atem. They climbed the stairs until they stood before the Pharaoh.

He was smiling broadly and his eyes shifted between Atem and Kahlaya. "I remember when my Divine Bond was made with my guardian. I dearly wish that he could be with us today, but, unfortunately, he cannot." His eyes became sad, but he quickly made them happy again. "Now it is time to welcome a new guardian!" Everyone cheered. "Atem and Kahlaya, please take the other's hand."

Kahlaya and Atem turned to each other and took the other's right hand. They held their arms between them and looked at each other. This scene reminded her of a wedding and she smirked. Atem raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled.

"Mahad," the Pharaoh said, making Kahlaya turn her head to him. "Would you please create the bond?"

Mahad took the Pharaoh's place before the throne and waved his staff over Atem and Kahlaya's hands. A thin, wispy trail of sparkling gold light appeared around Kahlaya's wrist. It wound its way along her arm and over hers and Atem's hands. The wisp circled around their hands and emanated a warm glow.

Looking over at the crowd, Kahlaya searched for Bakura. Her eyes scanned every face but couldn't find him. Her gaze travelled back to the gold trail, but she could feel Bakura's gaze on her.

This was bad. This was very bad. But Kahlaya knew that she couldn't just stop the bond from being made. Everyone would think she was crazy.

There was a deep fluttering in her stomach and Kahlaya felt warm inside. The gold wisp shimmered more brightly until Kahlaya couldn't stand to look at it anymore. It then flashed and disappeared. Kahlaya's hand was left tingling.

She looked at Atem who was smiling at her.

"_Hi." _Kahlaya heard his voice in her head. She now knew what it was like for people when she was a wolf and spoke to them.

"_It works,"_ she answered.

The Pharaoh swapped places with Mahad and smiled at them both. "Now the bond has been made and that means that you, Kahlaya, are a full Divine Guardian."

Kahlaya smiled meekly. A full Guardian. It was strange, thinking that all of her training was over, but she was happy for it at the same time. She was a powerful Divine Guardian.

There was a prickling at the back of her neck and she once again felt Bakura's gaze on her. She didn't turn to try and find him, but just stood there and tried to ignore the feeling.

"Well then," the Pharaoh said, clapping his hands together. "Let us conti-"

He was cut off by a loud gasp from Isis. All heads turned to her.

"What is it, Isis?" asked the king.

She had her hands on either side of her Millennium Necklace and her eyes were closed as she said: "My necklace has picked up a dark presence." Her eyes opened. "Bakura has escaped the dungeon and is in this room!"

The people in the room exchanged scared and nervous glances with each other and began talking uneasily. Some tried to run for the exit, but guards blocked their path.

"Please, calm down everyone!" the Pharaoh bellowed. "We can handle this!"

Some people looked reassured by his words, but most of them still looked frightened. All that Kahlaya felt was nervousness. She had warned him that this would happen. What if he was caught again? He should have just left when he had the chance.

Mahad descended the steps and walked into the crowd followed by Shada. Some guards came into the room and met with the two Guardians. They all walked through the crowd until they stopped at one person near the back. The guards grabbed each an arm and hauled him to the front of the room. The people parted to let them pass, keeping their distance.

The person they were hauling was thrown to the floor at the bottom of the stairs. He threw out his hands to catch himself and then stood. Two guards stood at his back, pointing their swords at him and one guard stood to each side of him. There was a dark grin plastered to his face as well as a glint in his pale purple eyes.

"Ah, _Pharaoh_," he said, performing a mock bow. "How lovely it is to see you."

The Pharaoh looked ready to tear Bakura's throat out. "How did you escape, Thief?"

Bakura shrugged and managed an innocent expression. "That's for me to know."

"I should have you killed here and now," the king said angrily.

Bakura gave him a surprised look. "That isn't any way to celebrate the birthday of the prince," his eyes moved to Kahlaya, "and the only living Divine Guardian, now, is it?"

Kahlaya narrowed her eyes. He didn't seem too concerned about being caught. In fact, he seemed to be _enjoying_ it.

The Pharaoh just looked at Bakura with so much hatred that the air around him cracked like lightning.

Finally, he said: "Take him to the dungeon. And double the security down there."

As the guards took hold of Bakura's arms, Bakura said: "Are you sure you want to be doing that?"

The Pharaoh looked at him skeptically. "What do you mean?"

Bakura grinned wickedly. "I think you have more… crucial things to be worried about."

Kahlaya felt it then. That aura that she hated more than anything. He was standing up on the balcony that went around the room, partially hidden by a column and unbeknownst to the guards and crowd.

She heard the sound that a bowstring makes after being let go. Looking up, she froze as she saw an arrow flying straight for her.

Cliffhanger! ;) Well, thanks for reading and review please! :) -WhiteTiger 


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you, reviewers! Here's chapter 18. Enjoy! :)**

Chapter 18

Kahlaya couldn't move. She could plainly see the arrow whizzing through the air toward her, and she had the time to stop it, but she could not move. Her eyes followed the arrow as it came and time seemed to slow down. Kahlaya then felt herself being pushed out of the line of fire of the arrow and down the steps. She landed at the bottom, in front of Bakura and the guards. She felt hands on her arms as she was pulled to her feet. People were shouting and screaming. Someone asked her if she was okay, Kahlaya just nodded absently and tried to understand what was going on.

Kahlaya looked around her. The room was in panic. People were running everywhere, most of them spilling out the exit. Bakura was no longer behind her and the guards were looking around them, confused and infuriated at the same time. Her eyes found their way to the top of the stairs. The six Guardians and the prince were all crouched there, looking down at something.

She made her way stiffly to the top of the stairs, wanted to know what they were doing. She stopped behind Atem and looked over his shoulder at the body of the Pharaoh.

He was on his back and there was an arrow lodged into his chest. Blood stained his robes and gathered under him.

Atem and the Guardians were murmuring to him, but Kahlaya couldn't hear what they were saying because of the commotion in the room. Atem's cheeks were tear-stained as well as Isis'. Shimon, the vizier of the king, also had water welling in his eyes.

Kahlaya looked down at the dying Pharaoh. His eyes moved to hers and he smiled weakly. He tried to say something, but couldn't manage another word.

Kahlaya smiled down at him. "Thank you," she muttered.

His head nodded once and then his eyes locked with his son's. No words were exchanged between them, but they managed to say so much more than they could have with words in that moment. A look of determination was shinning in Atem's wet eyes and he nodded to his father. The king smiled at Atem and then his head lolled to the side, the light leaving his eyes. Atem and the Guardians all took a moment to mourn the dead Pharaoh and then Atem stood up. The Guardians all followed his lead and looked to their new Pharaoh for instructions.

"Get every guard in the palace alert and after Bakura. You all may help as well. Don't let him escape into the city. Find him." He took a breath. "I don't care if he's brought back alive or dead."

As they all nodded and began to move off, Atem said: "And please have someone remove my father's body from this room. He must be prepared for burial."

They nodded again and continued for the exit. The room was now empty of people other than a few guards. Atem reached down and took the Millennium Puzzle from around his father's neck. He then slipped the string around his own neck.

Kahlaya's eyes moved to Atem's. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Atem's intense eyes turned more sympathetic when they settled on her. "Don't be. He did what he wanted to do. And I know he would have no regrets for it."

Kahlaya set her face into determination. "I'll help with the search for Bakura. With my aura powers, I can easily locate him."

Atem considered her for a second. "Alright. But please, Kahlaya," he gave her a worried look, "be careful."

Kahlaya nodded once and then rushed down the stairs, shifting into a wolf as she did. She ran from the room, her claws clicking on the floor as she stepped. Concentrating, she changed the world around her into one made entirely of aura. Pausing, Kahlaya closed her eyes and searched through the palace without moving. She looked for the familiar aura that was unmistakable to her. She soon located it and, opening her eyes, took off in that direction.

When she made it to the location, she returned the world to normal and walked into the deep shadows of the dark courtyard.

Kahlaya shifted back into a human and folded her arms. "Are you completely mental? You were _caught_. And then you _killed _the _Pharaoh!"_

Bakura laughed lightly. "I didn't kill the Pharaoh. And I got away, didn't I?"

Kahlaya's eyes narrowed. "That was too close for comfort. And, still, I mean, Tarik killed the Pharaoh! Why would he do that?"

Bakura's eyes flashed angrily. "Actually, he had been aiming for you, but the Pharaoh saved you. I had told him to shoot the Pharaoh. He'll pay for this." He said the last part to himself.

"So you did tell him to kill the Pharaoh."

Bakura shrugged. "Yes, but I didn't release the bowstring."

"Why?"

"Because I never liked him. He's always been quite annoying." He gave her a strange expression. "From what you told me, you didn't seem too fond of him either."

"Maybe I wasn't, but that doesn't mean I was going to _kill _him!"

He shrugged again. "Well, now that it's done, there's no need to linger on the subject."

Kahlaya scowled. "Fine, but I'm still not okay with it. And take that stupid thing off your head!"

She reached toward him and pulled the wig off of his head to reveal his snowy hair. She threw it at him and he caught it easily.

He was smiling cheekily, but then he frowned. "What are we going to do about that bond of yours with the new Pharaoh?"

Kahlaya's eyebrows pulled together. "I have no idea what to do. If it remains, I don't think I could ever be with you without Atem knowing. In fact, he probably knows where I am right now."

Bakura nodded thoughtfully, his mind reeling. He was trying to find a solution to this problem. Suddenly, it hit.

"Sanura," he muttered.

Kahlaya looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Sanura has the power to unravel the spell. The bond is made with light magic and Sanura controls dark magic. She can use her dark magic to destroy the bond."

Kahlaya smirked. "Yeah, like she'll help us."

"I am her brother. She'll oblige. If I ask nicely." He smiled playfully.

Kahlaya couldn't help but laugh. "It's our best shot, so we might as well try."

Bakura smiled. "Tomorrow at sunset, meet me at the marketplace and we'll go talk to her."

She nodded and he stepped closer to her. They kissed briefly and then Bakura disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

><p><strong>Does everyone like the direction of the story? To tell you the truth, I actually have no idea how I'm going to end it. :P<strong>

**Thanks for reading, everyone! And please review! :)**

**-WhiteTiger**


	19. Chapter 19

**Massive thank you to all reviewers, readers, followers and favouriters (I don't think that's a word. :P) Here's chapter 19! Enjoy! :)**

Chapter 19

Kahlaya walked back into the throne room to find Atem sitting on the tall gold chair, his elbow on the arm and his chin resting on his hand. He lifted his eyes to her as she walked in. There was no one else in the room, only a few guards standing outside. The body of the pharaoh had been moved.

Atem's head lifted and he stood as Kahlaya made her way to the throne. When she reached the base of the stairs, Kahlaya dropped into a bow with her head down.

Atem sighed slightly. "You don't need to do that, Kahlaya," he murmured softly.

Kahlaya stood and looked at the new pharaoh. He looked tired; his eyes were red-rimmed and had dark circles under them. He just seemed… defeated.

"It's going to be alright, Atem," she said.

He sighed. "I hope so." His eyes turned more aware and determined. "Did you find Bakura?"

Kahlaya nodded slowly. "Yes. He had taken a horse and ran off into the city. The other thieves had escaped as well and had gone with him. A group of guards went after him and Mahad told me to come back here, so that I wasn't in danger." She shrugged. "Although, I could have taken care of myself."

Atem half-smiled. "Sometimes it's best to let other people handle things. You are too important to be put carelessly in danger and Bakura is a cunning thief."

Kahlaya smiled knowingly. "I've gathered that."

Atem gave her a pitying look. "I do suppose that you have firsthand experience of how dangerous he can be, don't you?"

She laughed slightly. "You could say that."

Atem looked at the ground. "I can't believe he's gone."

Kahlaya walked up the stairs and put a hand on Atem's shoulder. "You're going to be a great pharaoh, Atem."

Atem's eyes moved to meet hers. "I hope."

She smiled. "I know."

He managed a slight smile. A guard ran into the room then and both of their attentions were drawn to him.

"My king!" he panted as he ran to the foot of the stairs. "Bakura has escaped into the desert with the other prisoners. We followed them, but they managed to get away at the gorge upriver."

"It's alright. Tell everyone to return from the search. And make sure that security is doubled. We don't want them returning to the city."

The guard bowed and left the room.

Atem stood and walked down the stairs. Kahlaya followed slowly and stopped beside him.

He didn't look at her when he said: "It's late, Kahlaya. You should get some sleep."

"And you?"

"I must speak with the guardians about this mess."

Her eyes narrowed. "I am also a guardian."

"You may come if you wish." He began walking from the room. Kahlaya watched him go for a second before walking after him.

* * *

><p>Tarik was slammed against the wall, a forearm against his throat and a hand with a fistful of his shirt's collar. His angry brown eyes met even angrier violet ones.<p>

"What's the matter, Bakura?" Tarik asked with mock caring.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "You know what the problem is, Tarik."

Tarik shrugged and held his hands up. "Do I?"

"Don't play games with me," Bakura said in a deadly whisper. "You tried to kill Kahlaya."

Tarik's eyes became slits. "So what? We'd be best to get rid of her anyway."

Bakura pressed his arm harder against his throat. "I should kill you right now."

Tarik laughed. "Go ahead. Wouldn't that be solving just so many problems?"

"It would be solving a big problem of mine," Bakura growled, taking his arm away from Tarik's neck and pulling out his sword. He pointed it at Tarik's throat.

Tarik scowled. "Ah, Bakura. I know you wouldn't kill another thief without giving them a fighting chance. It's not like you to just murder a man."

"Then draw your sword." Bakura moved his arm away from Tarik's neck and backed up a few steps.

Smiling, Tarik pulled his sword out of his belt and narrowed his eyes at Bakura. "You think you can beat me, _thief king?"_

"I should have killed you a long time ago, Tarik."

They both rushed at each other and their swords collided. Tarik pushed Bakura away and swung his sword, aiming for his abdomen. Bakura jumped back out of the way and swung at Tarik, who swiftly avoided the blow and aimed his own attack. Each was expertly dodging the other's attacks and no one managed to even touch the other. Bakura did find an opening at one point, though, and punched Tarik hard in the stomach.

Tarik stumbled back and Bakura used his moment of unbalance to swing at him. Tarik managed to lift his own sword and block the attack. He regained his balance and their swords clashed again. Tarik started moving around Bakura. Bakura began side stepping as well so that they were circling each other.

As soon as Tarik made it to the side closest to the door, he swung roughly at Bakura, pushing him backward. Bakura took a step back so that he didn't stumble, but Tarik whirled around and ran for the door. As fast as he could, Bakura sprinted after him.

He ran down the stairs of the little inn after Tarik. They had returned to the city after the guards had stopped chasing them into the desert. Bakura saw Tarik run out the door and he chased after him. Outside, Tarik ran through the streets. Bakura tried to stay on his tail, but Tarik managed to lose him.

Bakura came to a halt. Angrily, he put his sword back into his belt and made his way back to the inn. He should have just killed Tarik. Damn giving him an honourable fight. Tarik didn't deserve to die with pride and dignity.

Going back inside, Bakura went straight through the bar and upstairs to his room. He didn't bother to undress, but just flopped onto the bed, lying on his back.

Where would Tarik have gone? There would be no point in going back to the hideout; soldiers were there and most of the valuables would have been taken. Maybe he wouldn't even leave the city. Bakura thought over a million possibilities as to Tarik's whereabouts, not sure at all about where he would go. But there was one thing he was sure of: the next time he laid eyes on him, Bakura would kill him.

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do about Bakura?" Isis asked.<p>

Atem shook his head. "There isn't much we can do other than protect the city and try to keep him out. If he returns, we'll catch him."

They were all seated at a long table in the conference room. Atem sat at the head of the table with Kahlaya on his right and Shimon on his left. The others sat with three on each side.

"Should we go after him?" Mahad asked.

Atem thought about it for a second. "Yes. But not tonight. We can send out search parties tomorrow. If he isn't found by sunset, we'll leave him. He most likely won't be able to resist coming into the city." He looked at Kahlaya who was spacing out next to him, thinking about Bakura. "I'd hate to take you back to when you were abducted, Kahlaya, but do you think you could tell us anything about Bakura?"

Kahlaya looked at him, snapping back into reality. "Sorry, what?"

"Do you think you could tell us anything about Bakura that could help us. His behaviour. Where he might go."

Kahlaya shook her head. "No. I don't think so. He wasn't really around me much…" Then she remembered something. "But maybe we shouldn't be focused on Bakura."

All eyes turned to her, shocked. Atem narrowed his eyes questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Kahlaya felt a little shy under the gaze of all the guardians and the pharaoh. "Well… while I was at the hideout, they were attacked by some people called Dark Destroyers. Their leader, Odji, is intent on gathering any people with supernatural powers or who are talented in any way. He wanted me. He's gathering an army. If they attack here, I don't know how well we'd stand."

"How do you know so much about them?" Seto asked, somewhat suspicious.

She looked him evenly in the eyes. "Because there was a thief at the hideout who was more friendly than the others. He didn't mind sharing some information when I asked."

Seto continued to stare at her suspiciously, before his eyes moved elsewhere.

"Do you know anything else about these 'Dark Destroyers', Kahlaya?" Atem asked.

She shook her head. "No. That's all I know."

"For all we know, that thief was lying. There may not be any such group," Aknadin said angrily.

Kahlaya looked at him. "I'm very certain he was telling the truth."

"How can you be so sure?"

She sighed. "Because while I was there, they were attacked by the Dark Destroyers. They tried to take me and when I questioned why they wanted me, one of the thieves explained it."

Aknadin was about to say something, but Atem spoke first. "I believe you, Kahlaya. But they haven't made an advancement on the palace yet and, since we do not know their whereabouts, we cannot go out into the desert and hopelessly search for them. Our main problem is Bakura right now."

'_So much for trying to get them away from Bakura,'_ Kahlaya thought miserably.

"We'll just search for him tomorrow. We'll leave the Dark Destroyers to when they become a problem," Atem said. "Everyone should get some sleep. It's late."

As everyone at the table bowed their heads and rose to their feet to leave, Atem leaned back in his chair and yawned. Kahlaya looked at him.

"I hope you're planning on getting some sleep too," she said.

Atem shook his head. "I can't. There are things that have to be done. My father's death has set things into chaos. I need to plan a gathering for tomorrow and tell the guards everything that has happened…" he trailed off as he yawned again.

"No, Atem," Kahlaya murmured, placing a hand on his forearm. "That can wait until morning. You have to rest."

"I can't-"

Kahlaya cut him off. "Go to bed."

Atem reluctantly nodded and rose to his feet, Kahlaya following. She walked with him to his room before going to her own. Changing into night clothes, Kahlaya got under the covers and laid her head on the fluffy pillow. As she closed her eyes, she felt something move on the other side of the bed. Her eyes snapping open, she turned over, looking right into the smiling, violet eyes of Bakura.

Kahlaya nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise, a small scream escaping her throat.

Bakura chuckled slightly and Kahlaya scowled at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Still laughing lightly, Bakura shuffled closer to Kahlaya and wrapped his arms around her. "Going to sleep. What are you doing here?"

"I seriously think that sometimes you're trying to get yourself killed." She sighed and laid her head against him.

He laid his head on the top of hers. "I'm not trying. If I were, I would be dead. It's just easy to get away with things around here."

"Maybe not for long. It's going to get a lot harder for you to get in here."

That statement made him laugh. "I've seen their security doubled before. Even tripled. They should know by now that it won't stop me."

"Perhaps you should try not to get on their bad side. It would make things easier for everyone."

Bakura pulled back slightly to look at Kahlaya's face. She met his gaze. "Do you remember what they did to me? What they did to my family? What they've done to you?"

She nodded. "Yes, Bakura, but…" she sighed. "Everything would be so much easier for everyone if you and Atem didn't have so much hate."

"You know I can never forgive them."

"Yes, I know. And I know they can never rest until you are out of the picture. But, you can't blame me for wanting everyone to get along."

His eyes narrowed. "Do you have feelings for the pharaoh?"

Kahlaya's eyes widened and she looked away. "I don't… I'm…" she sighed and met his gaze again. "I don't know. But it's nothing like my feelings for you." Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed him. "Don't worry about it."

"It's hard not to worry about it when you're with him all day."

Kahlaya frowned. "Please don't be jealous. I would never choose him over you. Never. I can promise you that. I love you."

Bakura smiled and pulled her closer to him. "I love you as well."

Smiling, Kahlaya snuggled against Bakura's chest and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

**Please review! Oh, and, just saying, this is going to be a fairly long story. Like, I'm pretty sure this isn't even half. Unless I cut this one off and make a sequel instead of a super long story... maybe I'll just do that. Opinion? Should ****I make this just one long story or 2?**

**And a heads up, I probably won't update for a while. Sorry! :(**

**-WhiteTiger .xx**


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